One Step Closer: Making Time for Him

For those of us who are saved, our relationship with Jesus should never stop growing.

We know who He is. He is Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One. He is the suffering Servant Isaiah spoke of, the Savior who gave His life for us, rose again, and is coming again. And one day, in the Father's timing, Christ will come for His bride, the Church.

That's us.

So here is a question worth considering: What kind of relationship do we have with our Groom?

For those of you who are married, think about your relationship with your spouse. Is the only time you talk when it happens to be convenient? Do you spend time together only when you need something?

Think back to when you were dating. Did you see each other only if nothing better came up?

Probably not.

You made time. You moved other things around. You stayed up later than you should have. You talked. You listened. You wanted to be together because the relationship mattered.

So what have we set aside for our Savior?

I have to admit that this question convicts me.

Recently, I listened to Dr. David Gibbs speak about prayer. He challenged his listeners to write down ten specific things they wanted God to do, things that might even seem impossible, and then came the harder question:

Do I really believe God can do them?

Writing ten things wasn't difficult for me. Believing and praying with that kind of faith was harder.

Why?

The problem isn't God's power. The problem is me. I am human. I doubt. I get distracted. I become busy. And sometimes prayer becomes something I do when I have a problem instead of time I intentionally spend with the One who saved me.

James gives us a painfully simple reminder: “Yet you do not have because you do not ask.” — James 4:2

So I wrote my ten things down and began praying. Before long, ten became more. I began praying about what I desire for myself, my family, my coworkers, my church, my friends, my pastor, and others God has placed in my life.

But something else began happening. The list wasn't just about getting things from God anymore. It was getting me to spend time with God. That is an important difference.

Prayer isn't presenting our heavenly Father with a wish list. Prayer is part of our relationship with Him. As we pray, we bring our desires before Him, but we also learn to trust His wisdom, submit to His will, and grow in our faith.

So, how should we pray? Dr. Gibbs points to four important parts of biblical prayer:

Ask specifically. Tell God what you are asking Him to do. Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “come boldly to the throne of grace.” God already knows our needs, but He invites His children to come and ask.

Pray fervently. James 5:16 says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Prayer shouldn't merely be words we repeat. Bring your heart before God.

Come clean. Sin affects our fellowship with God. Confess it. Repent of it. Lay it at the cross rather than holding onto it. Prayer is relationship, and we should come before Him honestly.

Keep praying. Jesus taught His disciples that they “always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). He then told them about a widow who repeatedly went before an unjust judge asking for justice. The judge did not fear God or care about people, but because the woman kept coming, he finally responded to her request.

Jesus wasn't saying God is like that unjust judge. He was making the opposite point. If even an uncaring, unjust judge eventually responded to someone who kept asking, how much more can we trust our loving and righteous God when we continually come before Him?

Jesus ended the parable with a challenging question: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

That's the lesson: keep praying and don't lose heart. Persistence in prayer is an expression of faith. We keep coming before God because we believe He hears us, we trust His character, and we know His answer and timing are better than ours.

Elijah gives us another picture of persistence. He prayed and kept looking for the rain God had promised. He didn't quit when the first horizon was empty.

Persistence isn't a formula that forces God to give us what we want. Persistent prayer says, “God, I still trust You, so I am still coming to You.” We ask, we trust, we wait, and we keep praying.

Prayer doesn't change God's character or bend His will to ours. Prayer changes us as we learn to trust His character and bring our will under His.

Our Groom is coming. Until then, we shouldn't settle for knowing about Jesus. We should desire to know Him more, to talk with Him, listen through His Word, trust Him, obey Him, and intentionally make time for our relationship with Him.

Maybe it begins with something simple. Find a quiet place. Write down ten things. And pray. Not because God needs a list. Because we need time with Him.

One Step Closer: Don't give Jesus the time you happen to have left. Make time for the One who gave everything for you.