Grow Your Relationship with God Through Prayer: Part 5 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. We’ve been talking each morning this week about how to grow your relationship with God through prayer. There are a number of ways to grow your relationship with God, but the most important, the most significant is your communication with God through prayer, not just talking to God, but communicating with God and putting that connection with God first in your day and letting the other things of your day fall in around it.

God honors that, and He will help the other things in your day fall into place in the way that they need to.

We need to learn as we listen to God, to also obey what he’s saying to us.

And to use the little in-between moments in our day to stay in constant contact with him.

Well, today, I want to emphasize this with you: in your most desperate moments, turn to God as your first option.

God is not your last resort in life. He’s not the final bastion, the last thing to cling to. No, he’s the most dependable place to turn to when your life spins out of control. Think about it. When you’re desperate, you turn to the people closest to you, right? The people you know you can depend on.

Well, you need to set this firmly in your mind.

God is not just for Sundays. He’s not just for your growth group meetings. He’s not just your insurance policy for when you die. You don’t do Christian things just to appease Him or because you know you should. No. God is the most important person in your life: more than your spouse, more than your kids, more than your parents. He is the most important person in your life. He loves you more deeply than your spouse, more deeply than your dearest friend. He is able to support you in desperate circumstances more than any other person in your life. He is what the Bible calls the friend that sticks closer than a brother. He’ll be with you when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He’s the one to cry your anguish to. When your spouse asks you to sign divorce papers. He’s the one who understands when your son or daughter’s life is hanging by a thread. When the business you’ve built with your sacrifices, your blood, sweat, and tears is ripped away from you and you’re left with nothing but anger and a terrible sense of loss. That’s not when you push God away. It’s when you turn to Him and find His loving care and the strength to keep taking the next step in life.

You know, Psalm 142 was written by David when he was hiding out in a cave. King Saul had the whole army out looking for David. He felt abandoned. He felt alone. The army kept unearthing more and more of his hideouts. Finally, David was in his last place to hide.

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There in his cave he’s feeling hopeless and so alone. He’s desperate he’s discouraged. Where does he turn? Let me read you the 1st 5 verses of that chapter he wrote from that cave.

With my voice I cry out to the Lord. With my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before Him. I tell my trouble before Him. When my spirit faints within me. Lord, you know my way. In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right and see there is none who takes notice of me. No refuge remains to me. No one cares for my soul. I cry to You, O Lord. I say, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

Well, you also need to learn in your most desperate moments to turn to God as your first option.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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