One on One With God

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Matthew 6:6 (NIV)

"You satisfy me more than the richest of foods. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on you through the night."

Psalm 63:5-6 (NLT)

Jesus Christ didn't humble himself to the point of death for God to just be a Sunday morning acquaintance, or the guy we only talk to as a last resort in a crisis situation. He came so that we could become God's children, having an intimate relationship with Him. Of course gathering to worship with other believers is an important part of belonging to Christ's body, but passages like the ones above paint a picture of the one on one time we also need with God. In this video Jeff Deyo speaks about our "behind the scenes" relationship with God and the critical part it plays in our ability to worship or lead worship authentically.



If you sense the the need for more one on one time with God and you're not sure where to start, these are a few of the things that God has used to help keep He and I interacting on a daily basis.

• Keep a bible at your bedside, read/pray through some psalms when you wake up or when you go to bed. Besides being a general prayer help, doing this teaches us the language of worship and gives examples of authentic worship expression in the high and low points of life.

• If you tend to listen to music on a regular basis, try to let worship music be the first thing in your ears each day. For me this definitely requires discipline, but the more I hold to this standard, the less I'm satisfied by music that does not draw me closer to God.

• Practice praying without ceasing or spontaneous prayer. John Piper had some great examples of this in a sermon on Matthew 6:
• Whisper a thank-you to God after a close call on the highway,

• A

  sk God for help in the middle of an exam,

• C

  onfess to God your sin after saying something hurtful to a friend,

• P

  raise God for a beautiful sunset,

• A

  sk for strength when you are ready to drop and have another task to do

• P

  ray for a missionary when you open his email and realize he needs help

  right now.

• Keep a prayer journal. My entries include written prayers; current life circumstances and how God has or hasn't showed up; notes on a scripture or devotional book that have been meaningful to me. Reading back through these entries months or years later often reveal the faithfulness of God in my life and almost work like modern day psalms of remembrance that can fuel my praise of Him.