Desiring God in Daily Life
As some of you may already know, I have just recently rededicated my life to God. I knew that as soon as the decision was impressed upon me by the Holy Spirit that my life would change dramatically, however, I did't exactly know what all would come to pass. Over the course of the next month or so, I began spending a lot of time in the Word, learning all that I could from the prophets and disciples of Jesus Christ. I also began attending church each and every Sunday, if you would like to look check out the place I call my spiritual home, you can visit it here at Lifepoint Church.
Shortly after beginning to attend, I began tithing according to the commands of God, but instead of only giving 10% I chose to give a little more; it doesn't belong to me in the first place, God is the one who blessed me with the money. Shortly after this happened, it was brought to my attention that I needed to be re-baptized; it was cute when I was younger, but after rededicating my life to God and knowing what it means to truly follow him, I needed a fresh start. From this point forward, there were many things that I no longer desired to be a part of; this may not happen to everyone immediately, but it did in my case. As an example, I used to struggle with pornography, cursing, and alcohol to name a few.
Throughout the following month I began searching for other areas of my life that I could offer over to God, allowing more space in my heart and my mind to be occupied by him. Something that I should mention, I had contacted the pastor of my church, seeking advice, and was replied to by the assistant pastor; no ill will towards the senior pastor, he's very busy. After speaking with our the assistant pastor (AP), he suggested a book called "Walking with God" by John Eldredge, which I read and it left a huge impact on my life. Following the completion of this book, I began meeting with the AP occasionally for coffee; folks, this was a true blessing for me, he has offered me a lot of inspiration and great advice. It does wonders for a new Christian having someone to look meet with who has much more knowledge and experience than we do, someone you can look up to as somewhat of a mentor and guide.
I'm not entirely sure why, but I figured that as my life began to change, everything around me would also change in an impacted way; and in a way I was correct, but in many ways I was way off. I somewhat expected for the broken pieces of my marriage to come back together, but this was completely wrong. One thing I cannot stress to everyone enough, never assume that everything will change once you become a Christian; in fact, many things may begin to get tougher. The people that you used to associate with may come to despise you for who you've turned into, a Jesus "freak". The Bible tells us this, that those who used to call you friend may come to call you enemy.
Many people believe that once you become a Christian and you've dedicated your life to God that everything will happen on it's own; like God will automatically lead you where you need to go. This is also very far from the truth, change is brought about by action, not simply believing in God. Each individual who freely repents and comes to the Lord should desire to change their lifestyle and views. Spending time in the Word of God, the Bible, is an absolute must for those who seek to do more than just get into heaven; God desires an intimate relationship with us more than anything. He offered up his own Son, Jesus, in sacrifice just so that we could have a path to achieving this.
Studying the Bible is closely followed by prayer, prayer is used to communicate directly with God, which should be done in line with his will. When I say in line with his will, I mean that you should not come to him out of selfish desire for worldly possessions or wants; you'll know you're in line with him when you are obeying his commands and performing good deeds. I use prayer on a daily basis to thank my Father for all he has blessed me with: my skills, abilities, possessions, family, friends, and just my entire life. I also use prayer seeking to change my life, asking for forgiveness on the sins I commit, asking for strength to overcome committing them again, changing my heart and my mind so that they will come into line with His will for me. Remember this, prayer is a powerful tool, and when used correctly, the Devil fears it.
To give you a little more detail about me and what I'm currently facing, I've been out of work since September, and cannot seem to even get an interview. I'm relying entirely on God and my wife to provide for my family, which causes me to feel like a failure as a provider and a husband. I know that my wife looks down on me for not having a job, even if she doesn't openly admit it to me; who wants to tell others that their spouse is unemployed and can't help to provide for their family? Although it does bring me down at times, I continue to place all faith and confidence in God that he will supply me with an opportunity to provide again. I can't help but pray for a position in the ministry, reaching out to others on a daily basis and getting paid to do it? C'mon, what true Christian believer and follower of Christ wouldn't want to have a paid position to do the will of the Father?!
Although I've only provided you with a small glimpse into my life, you've been shown what it's like to desire God on a daily basis, how I use prayer, why I read the Bible, and how I live my life. I live my life out of respect and an open desire for my heavenly Father, whom I seek to grow closer too each and every day. If you enjoyed this article, please give it a +1, which can be found below; there are also share buttons which are located at the top of each page. Thank you for dropping by and if you feel led to leave me any feedback or comments, you may do so below. To continue learning about a relationship with God, please also consider reading How to Use Prayer for Healing!
God Bless!
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