Do you realize that Jesus knows your name? Have you ever heard the voice of God? Have you heard Jesus call you by name? My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. John 10:27–28
Jesus makes it so plain to us here that He knows each one of us. Every person who has believed in Him will have eternal life, and no one can take that away from us. Praise God! Each person who has received Jesus as their Savior will be known by Jesus and hear His voice. What a treasure we have here on earth, to know the Lord Jesus!
Seek Him Above All
It is up to us to discipline ourselves to carve out the time and make the effort to press in to know Him. I know how busy and complex our lives are, believe me. I am not saying this to be harsh or condescending. I am preaching to the choir (myself) right now. I know that God sees and understands the mountains of tasks we all have to complete and how stretched we are to make ends meet and take care of all the issues of our lives. But the fact still remains that we ultimately miss out on taking our relationship with Him to new levels when we don’t seek Him. We shortchange ourselves of so much He wants to do within us, for us, and through us.
Let me give you an example. Not long ago I had a lengthy conversation with a woman who was very depressed. She had come to a breaking point after years of dealing with multiple traumas including a messy divorce, several other failed relationships, financial problems, mounting health challenges, and personal inner turmoil. She was at such a low point emotionally that she was physically sick, unable to hold food down, and having increasing thoughts of suicide.
Earlier in her life she had known the Lord, gone to church, and served God. Over the years she had slipped away from Him and was no longer living for Him. I felt such sadness and then told her how much I cared for her and that I wanted to help her get emotional relief. However, if she genuinely wanted change to take place, it wouldn’t come from someone else’s prayers. It wouldn’t come from outside of her. Lasting peace and wholeness and compassion for her as she poured out her heart to me. In desperation, she asked if I could pray for her to break the strongholds over her mind and life. I told her that of course, I would pray for her and that God could set her free and bring change to her life. That would only come from a change within her. You see, I knew that the only way she would rise out of this deep oppression was to ask the Lord into her heart and allow His Spirit to change her from the inside out. I encouraged her not just to seek the miracle but to seek the miracle worker. She said, “Yes, I want the Lord back in my heart and life.”
I prayed and then led her in prayer, and the most incredible peace filled not only the room but also her heart, mind, and body. Tears of joy burst from her as the Holy Spirit poured Himself into her, bringing relief and genuine joy. She called me later that night and again the next morning to let me know God had touched her deeply and set her free, and He was already turning her circumstances for the better! In fact, she still updates me on the list of blessings and miracles God has brought into her life and family. Our God is a good God—all the time.
Carve Out Time Each Day
To begin carving out time with the Lord, commit to spending at least fifteen to thirty minutes in prayer and devotions each morning. I promise you that it will be time well spent that will change your life for the better. How do you begin? Pick up your Bible, bow your head, and say, “Lord, I deeply desire to know you as my dearest friend. I want to commit the first part of my day to you right now. Please speak to me.”
Eight Thousand Promises
God, Himself has given us more than eight thousand incredible promises in the Bible. Here are just a few of them: divine help, health, provision, peace, joy, and long life. What a list of promises! As you enter into a more intimate relationship with the miracle maker, you will find it easy to lay hold of the promises He has made. No matter what challenges you are facing right now, God has a promise to fit your situation. In fact, before you ever faced the problem in front of you, God already prepared the answer for you.
