Now, I’m not implying that it is bad to tell God your needs, wants and desires. I’m simply saying that there is benefit in praying without an agenda. I was speaking with a great friend and he told me that, recently, he spent 20 minutes in prayer expressing his deep love for God. My first thought when I heard this was, “20 minutes??? Really? That is a lot of time to say, ‘I love you.’” However, as I listened to him talk about the experience, I found myself desperately wanting to do the same. It wasn’t about the amount of time. It was about fully expressing his love to Jesus.
As I “tried” this for the first time, I was overwhelmed with the incredible glory of God. I do not say this in a religious sense. I say this as if speaking of a treasured lover. Marvelously, my experience was that God was quick to draw me close and return this expression of my love 10-fold. I felt deeply loved and wanted. Yes, I felt like God really wanted to be near me.
I must admit that I had to stop myself several times from making requests of God. Each time I refrained and focused on just loving God, I felt drawn even closer by God. In the end, I left that prayer time refreshed, energized and exceedingly happy. It was a beautiful experience and I am grateful that God challenged me in this way through the experience of another.
So, I challenge you. Set aside some time and simply approach Jesus and tell him how much you love him. Then, submit a comment and tell me about your experience.
#encounterJesus