Pastor's Message

Developing a Close Relationship with God

There is an issue that is prevalent in the body of Christ that is important. Many times believers know that they need to spend time with their Father God, but sadly, no time is made and silence between a heavenly loving Father and his child on earth is continued day after day. This issue of not spending time in prayer and fellowship with the trinity is the focus of this month’s message. There are a variety of reasons for this tragic situation. For now, let us focus on two of at least five that are easily identifiable.

1. Sense of Guilt
Guilt can come from ignorance. If you know who you are in Christ according to the scripture, then the Word of God will clarify your position, rights and responsibility in the Kingdom of God. The starting place is to understand that once you are born-again as Jesus mentioned to Nicodemus, then you are in a unique relationship to God. (John 3:3)

NKJ 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The term “new creation” can be understood as a “Fresh Start.” Once an individual accepts Jesus in his heart, he is given a Fresh Start at life, a life that is infused with God’s power and presence. The recognition of this fact on a daily basis will remove any sense of guilt.

NKJ Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

The Lord has promised that He hears the prayer of His people. As such, the believer has the assurance that God hears his requests. Guilt has no power over a believer that is given a continuous audience with Almighty God.

NKJ James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. The apostle James outlines for the believer that prayer will make a tremendous amount of power available. As such, the believer has a great access to God’s power through the avenue of prayer. A sense of guilt cannot continue to exist in the presence of God’s power.

NKJ 1 John 5:15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

To deal with the sense of guilt the believer needs to know that power is available through prayer. The prayer of a child of God will be heard and answered by God himself. Consequently, any inferiority issue is removed by the acknowledgement of the believer’s place in God.

2. The Wandering Mind
The believer needs to develop soul control. The bible teaches that the believer is a spirit, lives in a body and possesses a soul according to 1 Thessalonians 5:23. The real man, the regenerated inner man, is a spirit made in God’s image and has the ability to control both the soul and the body. NKJ Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

The prophet Isaiah explained that a believer’s mind can be set on the things of God and the result is peace and trust. The believer can have peace in his mind and it can be set on the Lord especially in times of fellowship and prayer.

NKJ Mark 12:30 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

Strength of “mind” comes from the action of obedience to God’s word. It is a commandment of God. The fruit of obedience in love is a mind that is focused on God.

NKJ 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

With the Word of God we are able to hold captive thoughts that are not in line with the righteous life. Our ability to keep our minds on God and His word is in direct proportion to the time that we spend developing our spirit-man through God’s Word.

We will continue with the remaining points in the next issue. For now, remember to say the following aloud with conviction, “I’m believing to be at the Right Place, at the Right Time saying the Right Thing and the Right Thing to say is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”