SPEND TIME WITH GOD

Select a slot on your schedule and a corner of your

world, and claim it for God. Prayer-time is not a

time where you only talk to God. It is also a time

when you listen to His voice. Jesus taught his

disciples: “But when you pray, go away by yourself,

shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father

secretly. Then your Father who knows all secrets,

will reward you” (Mt. 6:6 NLT).

The place and the position have nothing to do with

prayer. Talking to God in secret has much to do with

prayer. Certainly, public prayer is important, but we

get our “practice” when in private. When I was getting

established in grace back in my teens, I fixed up a

shed next to where I milked the cow. Then I set up a

small wood stove and cut a pile of kindling. This

became my “secret closet” where I knelt in prayer.

Then on Sunday afternoons, I would climb a mile into

the foothills of the Rockies, read my Bible and a

good devotional book. Then walk between the tall

ponderosas and talk to God in secret. Here I could

pray aloud, for the deer and the magpies didn’t care.

You can be sure you are in his presence, when He talks

to you! Don’t listen for an audible voice. Listen

for a spirit voice. But isn’t this “spiritism?” you

ask. Good question! I don’t want to lead you into

“mysticism.” So let’s study the Word. Romans 8:16

(NLT) reads: “For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep

in our hearts. And tells us that we are God’s

children.” God loves to communicate with us.

The study of the Bible is another method of

communicating with Divinity. Isn’t it exciting to be

led by God! The Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp

to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105

NIV). And friends, I dearly love this portion: God

is light and there is no darkness in him at all. So

we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God and

go on living in spiritual darkness (I John 1: 5,6

NLT). And then verse 7: But if we are living in the

light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we

have fellowship with each other, and the blood of

Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.” This is

straight teaching from God’s word.

I love you all. Let’s

pray for one another.

Erwin Bourne

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