Philippians 1: 9-11 "My prayer for you is that you will overflow more and more with love for others, and at the same time keep on growing in spiritual knowledge and insight, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you May be sincere and without insult till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. "
What is your relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father? I am not just talking about your salvation, I am talking about your personal relationship with Him now, after you have been reborn. How well do you really know Him, Jesus Your Lord, and God the Father?
One of the ways we tell how well we know someone is how we talk about them. If we know someone we know how they feel or think about a situation, what makes them happy or sad, their likes and dislikes, what makes them angry. What disgusts them or give them joy. Do you know what makes God happy, what makes Him sad, what disgust Him or gives Him joy? You should, you are His child and you should be closer to God than anything else in this world.
You can know Jesus, your Lord and Savior and God, the Father this well.
How you ask? By spending time with Him. You spend time with God, talking with Him, listening to Him. You do that by spending time is His Word, the Bible. Everything you need to know is right there in His Word, God's plan for you, His provisions for you, what makes God happy, what pleases Him, everything you need to know, is right there is His Word. God is good, and He wants nothing but good for you!
Jeremiah 9: 23-24. "Thus says the Lord:" Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, '' says the Lord. '
Jeremiah 29: 1-12 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Me, and I will listen to you. "
To strengthen your inner man, your reborn spirit, you must know God personally! You have to know God intimately! You need to know what God thinks and says about things, not what the world thinks or says about things. To have this relationship you have to spend time with God, reading His Word.
Joshua 1: 7-8. "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. Of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may Observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good Success.
You have to spend time reading and meditating on what you read in God's Word.
When you seek God, seek to know Him better, seek to know His view on things, then you will find Him!
Jeremiah 29:13 "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
Matthew 7: 7-8. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone who seeks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened."
Hebrews 11: 6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Deuteronomy 4:29 "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."
To seek God, to spend time with Him, you must spend time reading His Word, talking with Him in prayer, and stopping to listen when He talks to you.
Psalms 63: 1 "O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water."
Psalms 27: 4,8 "One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To bear the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple … When You said, "Seek My face," "My heart said to You," Your face, Lord, I will seek. "
Col. 3: 1 "For that says the Lord to the house of Israel:" Seek Me and live; "Amos 5: 4
"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God."
The more time you spend time fellowshiping with God, the closer you will get to Him and the more you will understand His truths as revealed in His Word.
As you grow closer to God you will learn to think the thoughts of God, speak and talk the talk of God and not the world. You will learn to walk by faith and not by sight.
2 Cor. 5: 7 "For we walk by faith, not by sight"
As you spend time with God, reading His Word, thinking and meditating on what you have read and studied your faith will grow.
Romans 10:17 "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
And then you will be able to truly please God, because we know without faith it is impossible to please Him!
Hebrews 11: 6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Nothing pleases God more than for us to trust Him completely, trust Him to keep His promises He has made to us.
Deuteronomy 7: 9 "Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands;"
God has promised us everything we need in His Word, if we are obedient and follow His commands.
Deuteronomy 5: 32-33 "Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has Commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. "
Deut. 6: 24-25 "And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He may preserve us alive, as it is this day." Then it will be righteous for us, If we are careful to observe all these commands before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us. "
When you trust completely in God and not yourself He will guide you and teach you and you will have a strong personal relationship and intimate fellowship with Him.
Meditate on these versions of Scripture:
Proverbs 3: 5-8 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. And depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. "
Proverbs 2: 1-11,20 "My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth Come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every Good path. When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will watch over the understanding; will keep keep:
…. so you may walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness. "
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you want to be a joint heir with Christ?
If so, I urge you to earnestly pray the following prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your word says, "… and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." (Jn.6: 37)
So I know You will not cast me out, but You take me in, And I thank you for it. You said in your Word, "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Ro. 10:13).
I am calling on your name, So I know You have saved me now, You also said, "… that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will Be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. " (Ro.10: 9,10).
I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He was raised from the dead for my justification. And I confess Him now as my Lord, Because Your Word says, "… with the heart one believes to righteousness …" and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21)
And I am saved! Thank You, Lord!
I can now truthfully say, I see myself as a born again child of God!
Glory to God !!!! Amen.