Topic: How Do You Get Back to God? [RICK WARREN Devotional 31 December 2021]
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How Do You Get Back to God?
“When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.”
Jeremiah 29:13 (The Message)No matter how far you are from God today, there is a pathway back to him.
I don’t know where you are right now. Maybe you haven’t been to church in years, or you’ve just been distant for a month or two. Maybe you’ve had one of those weeks where you thought, “I really don’t feel God’s presence in my life.” And yet you long to be close to God.
How do you get back to him?
Here is a pathway to spiritual transformation—the three things you need to do to get back to God:
Also Read: Open Heaven 31 December 2021 –Topic: PRAYERS FOR 2022
Realize you need to change. Nothing is going to change in your life until you get dissatisfied with the way you are. You need to get to the point where you say, “I don’t like this. I’m tired of being stressed out all the time. I’m tired of being frustrated all the time. I’m tired of being overworked all the time. I’m tired of feeling distant from God.”
Why does God let you get to that point? Because he loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to let you stay that way. He will not let you waste your life.
God says in Jeremiah 29:13, “When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed” (The Message).
Own up to your sin. Isaiah 59:2 says, “The trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God. Because of sin he has turned his face away from you” (TLB).
Have you ever prayed and felt like God was a million miles away or like there was a wall between you and God?
Where does that distance come from? Your sins have separated you from God. But if you feel far from God, guess who moved? You! God has always been there. He loves you unconditionally, and he’s waiting for you to own up to your sin so you can have a right relationship with him again.
Give up control. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “We all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings ever greater glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (NCV).
True transformation happens when your heart moves from self-centeredness to God-centeredness. Are you there yet?
That transformation doesn’t happen overnight. God is going to work on you your entire life. But to start the process, you have to make a decision to repent and, “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your [body] as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1 NIV).
God wants to be close to you. And he promises that when you seriously seek him, you will not be disappointed. Watch expectantly how God works in your life this coming year as you seek him with all your heart, mind, and soul.
- Why is it sometimes difficult to let go of the things that cause you stress?
- How does confessing sin open the door to spiritual growth and drawing closer to Jesus?
- What does it mean to be a “living sacrifice”?
- What changes can you make to help you consistently seek God with all your heart, mind, and soul in 2022?
Are you frustrated with your life? Sick of your sin? Ready to give control to Jesus?
If you’re ready to commit your life to Jesus, then pray this prayer:
“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.
“I confess my sin, and I receive you into my life as my Lord and Savior. You have promised that if I confess my sin and trust you, I will be saved. I trust you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management.
“I’m grateful for your unconditional love. I want to use the rest of my life to love and serve you instead of serving myself. I commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”