I found this beautiful journal entry dating from August 2013. I thought I’d put it to test again today and try it. Wow, it’s pretty good. I have to say I feel so much better already and yet at the same time I feel like it’s just whet my appetite. I want to keep talking to the Lord more. I want to keep coming to Him by just feeling after Him. Apostle Paul wrote about feeling after the Lord. He said:
“That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” {Acts 17:27}
I think often the reason we get so tongue-tied with our prayers is because we don’t feel after the Lord enough. We come to Him trying to understand Him with our mortal and carnal mind, and we end up getting so overwhelmed. Because He’s such a great, big and awesome God, we don’t know what to say. But if we just feel after Him, by coming to Him with our emotions, we don’t have to worry about anything else. If we believe He loves us so much and we are accepted by Him, then all we need to do is come to Him with all of our hearts. It really does work for me. It might take some practice for some but once you get the initial part of letting go of your emotions, wow, this thing can really take off. It reminds me so much of what the Lord has shown me time and time again: He is an emotional God. He wants to feel our love for Him. He wants to feel it. I know it sounds odd to say and think that about God, but He really is a feeling God because He is full of emotions. His love for us is not just a mind-set kind of love. It is indeed full of passion and emotions. That’s what brought Him to Calvary and that’s what kept Him there. Remember, how angry He was at Satan for speaking through Peter about dying at the cross? Peter told Him, “No, Lord, this shall not be for You.” But the Lord rebuked Peter and told him,
“Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” {Matthew 16:23}
Then the Lord told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me…” {Matthew 16:24}
Talk about all or nothing with Him. The thing is, God is very passionate about His love for us. He is very much in love with us. He knew He must die and give up His life so that we can be set free from our sins and from the powers of the darkness of this world. His death will bring us life, happiness, and so much peace and joy with Him. His death will also bring us to love Him so much more, not just Him loving us. Because of all that emotion behind His love, nothing in heaven or in earth or even in hell is going to stop Him. So much so, He gave His life up for us. Dead prayers to Him are boring. He wants us to come to Him with all of our heart and soul. So, give up all those emotions to Him and let the Lord feel your love.
Anyway, without further ado, here’s the exercise:
Five minutes. That’s all it takes. And I promise you, you will not be the same as when you started. I call it the exercise for the heart and soul. (And if five minutes is not enough, you know, just add on another five until you’ve poured it all out. Really, it is up to you how long you want to carry the exercise. But all it takes is a mere five minutes.)
Start by tapping into your heart and your soul, clearing your mind away of all thoughts of this world. Then start “feeling” after God with your heart and soul. Don’t think. Feel after God. Whatever you feel pour it out to Him. If you feel happy and thankful let that feeling be put into words into your heart and soul. Reach out to Him. Use your heart and soul. Love Him. Love Him and bring Him into your heart and soul. (If you have the gift of tongues and the Spirit of God stirs in you to do so, do it.) Pour. Pour. Love. Love. Bring Him in. If you feel angry or hurt or ashamed and unworthy, pour all those emotions out too. Pour them, and don’t hold back. If you find yourself crying, or sobbing, that’s good. That’s the beauty of the exercise. It will bring healing. Pour all these emotions out to Jesus Christ everyday. For five minutes. That’s all it takes. Your life will change. Try it!
Remember, God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. {John 4:24}
Prayer
Jesus, I love You so much Savior! Thank You with all of my heart for You – for Your grace, Your compassion, and Your mercy and truth in my life. I can never thank You enough.
Father, thank You with all of my heart for showing me again today that to come to You with all my heart and my emotions is okay, even if I find myself just weeping and crying and even being unhappy to You. You have shown me that whenever I am honest with my emotions and with my feelings to You, You are able to comfort me. I thank You Father, for this way of being able to connect with You and find You. Please, Lord, help me everyday to remember this exercise of faith, of coming to You unashamed and without reservations about my emotions and my feelings to You. Help me to always remember that You love me so much and are always in love with me, always with open arms for me. Please help me to remember Your great sacrifice at the cross and how because You love me so much You gave up Your life, suffered there and died for me, so I can be set free to worship You today. Oh, Jesus, let me worship You today with all of my heart and soul because You are so worthy of it. You are so deserving of all my love and worship, with all of my heart and emotions of love. I thank You with all of my heart and soul how true and great Your love is for me today and for Your people. I pray, Lord, please increase our faith in Your love for us today. Help us to love You too Father, so much more as the end approaches. I pray Father, in Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You, Savior. Amen.
