Here’s a devotional I wrote a few years ago. I don’t know exactly when, but I found a podcast of it today in my iPod recorded in May of 2015, and made me really think again about my motive and purpose in coming to God. I remember writing about this but can’t find the exact writing. I’m sure it’s in my piles of journals somewhere, but it seems easier to just type it out from my iPod than look for it. I thought I’d share it here since it blessed me when I heard it again today. I hope it blesses you and encourages you as well.
Oh, I know how rituals can make one feel good when prayers are accomplished. It can make you feel good, so much so that you can start feeling that when you’ve accomplished it you’ve pleased God. Likewise then when you’ve failed, you’ve failed God and He’s disappointed with you. Don’t I know? I’ve been there and done that. But God has shown me through the years He wants nothing to do with that. I got a surprised one day when God spoke to me in my spirit asking me, “Why are you fasting?” and of course, praying. And I couldn’t come up with an answer and I thought, “To draw near to You?” And He told me basically, “You have no purpose, break your fast.”
The truth was I was just fasting out of a habit, out of a ritual. It was a shock to me because I thought that God would be pleased with me if I fasted. But He wanted a better relationship with me and rebuked me. He showed me that He will tell me when to fast.
Fasting should be a day to spend time with Him, to commune with Him, to know Him more, and to receive from Him. Not to be able to say, “Well, I fasted today” and yet you had no purpose. You will always be able to tell when you need to fast. When you’re feeling a hunger for God and there is this emptiness in you, and you are desiring more of Him or for Him to fill you, then fast. Or when you have a special need and want His attention, then fast. But don’t be a Pharisee about it so you can show to God that He should be pleased with you because you fasted. God wants nothing to do with your righteousness. Your righteousness is as a filthy rag before His eyes. There’s nothing you can do to even merit His love or His favor – unless you come hungering after Him and desiring Him to be your righteousness, by allowing Him to have His way in your life and listening to Him.
Don’t be bound by prayer schedules that when a brother or a sister in need comes by, you can’t stop your prayers and help that person. Don’t be bound by your prayer schedule that heaven forbid something happens in your life to throw your schedule off, and you can’t go to sleep because your day has been ruined and you’re going around feeling guilty. That’s the enemy’s tactic. He wants you to be bound and he wants you to fret, he wants you to fear because that is his job. Your job is to shake off your bad feelings and call on the name of the Lord and trust in His grace. Your bad feelings do not determine your salvation; whether you feel good or whether you feel bad doesn’t determine whether God is pleased with you or not. Use common sense. God is not a tyrant. God is not going to punish you because you’ve missed a prayer or you didn’t do it exactly as you’ve done in times past. That’s the work of the devil – guilt. So you become burdened by your rituals and by your prayers. You start hating your prayers and hating your life. God’s yoke is easy and His burden light. If prayer is becoming horrible, tedious, and a big burden then something is wrong. It’s time to change yourself and your approach to God. Maybe it’s time to start asking Him from the heart to show you how you should come to Him and waiting on Him to show you. Maybe even ask Him how you should pray – how to pray. Throw out all your preconceived notions of how you should come to God and let Him show you. And I will tell you, as He has told me, come by the heart.
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” {Matthew 22:37}
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” {Jeremiah 29:13}
Prayer
Lord, I thank You that Your love is true for us and that You never ever change. I thank You that no matter what time of day and hour we need You we can find You. I thank You that Your love is faithful. I thank You Jesus, for Your grace.
Lord, please Father, help us today to know who You are, to come to You and seek for You with all of our hearts. Let us not get bogged down by the rituals of prayers. Let us learn Father how You want us to come to You. Let us do it Your way and not our way. Let us come to You with all of our hearts and soul and mind. Let us love You so much that coming to You is a joy and something we look forward to doing all the time and not a burden and a sacrifice. You have said that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. Your word said that in Your presence there is fullness of joy and pleasures for ever more. Please Father, let us learn that, let us come to You and know You and Your joys and Your pleasures. I ask all these things Father in Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
