Week 14

Building A Relationship With God

Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV)

7-Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8-For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

What are you waiting for? Have you been praying for years for God to change a situation in your life? Are you getting frustrated at not seeing any change or results? I struggle with this myself. There are personal relationships that are not where I'd like them to be. There is a work situation that is not what I would like for it to be. There are things I want to do for God that I can't see happening right now.

The bible tells us in Matthew 7:7-8 to ask and seek and we shall receive and find and to knock and it shall be opened. Sometimes, we ask things of God and don't see anything happen. It's not a matter of God granting wishes; but a matter of God wanting to give us His best. Think about all the things you have prayed for. Think about how things come about when you trust in God to give you His best. Maybe someone has prayed to win the lottery. God wouldn't give to us something that would hurt us. If we are a bad manager of money, He wouldn't want us to have an abundance of money and become distant from Him.

Romans 5:3-4 (KJV)

3-And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knoweth that tribulation worketh patience;

4-And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

The bible tells us to glory in tribulations. Going through difficult seasons builds in us strength and faith in God. We learn to wait with patience. We are building a foundation in Christ so that when we are ready, God can do great works with us that bring Him glory.

Romans 5:1-2 (KJV)

1-Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2-By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

God tells us to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. I believe frustration comes, for me anyway, from trying to make things happen in my own strength. I believe frustration also comes when I expect to see results in my timing and forget to wait for God's timing. We have to do our part. We have to move our feet and seek and knock just as God tells us to; but we also have to do these things for the Glory of God and not for ourselves. This is a hard thing to accept and understand. We want things for ourselves and for our families. God knows this and understands it; but we must first want to serve God and put Him first. When we do this, He will move things around to our favor and add to our family and fulfill our heart's desires.

Psalms 25:15 (KJV)

Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

This week I encourage you to set your eyes toward the Lord. Seek Him first in everything you do. Ask for His guidance and wisdom for every decision you make. If you have been waiting for a long time for a change, ask God to reveal what you need to learn in order to move closer toward His plan. Sometimes, we have to keep retaking the same test until we pass it. Remember this week that all things in God's timing and in seeking His will above all other things will bring increased faith, build your patience and prepare you for God's best for your life.

Have a Blessed week in Christ!

Jeanie Hannah