Where do you go to meet with God?
Do you have a special, sacred space?
A chapel? A poustinia? A closet?
Do you walk in the countryside, revelling in the beauty of creation?
Do you have a daily, quiet time, studying the Word of God,
which leads naturally to praise and prayer?
Do you listen to great worship, either choruses of hymns
and sing and dance with joy before the Lord?
Do you go to church?
The longing to meet with God is so clear in this psalm by the sons of Korah.
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for the living God.
Where can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, Where is your God?
These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.
Psalm 42
Is Church Enough?
It seems that the psalmist was missing gathering together to praise God. I missed being led into the presence of God through corporate worship, as the psalmist was.
Lockdown has been a challenge in so many ways.
Zoom prayer meetings and praying with distance friends by phone have been good, but it's not the same. Praise God for the internet, but it still feels like a substitute for the real thing!
Church services and meetings have been part of my existence for over 40 years. Without regularly seeing my church family, my life has been less fun and less full. The Turkish government wisely closed mosques and churches and they are only just beginning to reopen. (We live in Turkey.)
But it has shone a light on our own personal walk with Christ Jesus.
The Christian life is both corporate and individual.
Together, we relate to Jesus as the head of the church, which is the bride of Christ. We are a family, and we are there for each other, to love, support and encourage one another. As we pray, and live, in harmony our prayers become ever more powerful. The church is not just an inward-looking club. She also exists for the salvation & healing of the nations.
But Church meetings have never been enough for a satisfying Christian life.
You cannot develop earthly friendships by greeting each other on a Sunday morning.
How much more do we need to spend quality time with our heavenly Father to develop our relationship?
Developing Our Personal Relationship with Our Father
The Lord is my shepherd and God is my father. the relationship is a personal one. Jesus demonstrated this, in that he would get up before it was light, to go into the hills to spend precious time alone with his Father.
Walking on the moors, through the woods and over the fells has been a continuing joy for me. In the quiet, natural places I draw close to the divine and I hear His soft whisper.
My prayer times at home can be quiet or noisy, depending on my mood. I love to listen to a variety of Christian music and to read the bible.
See the series Music, Meditation & The Word
Recently I've discovered Bible jounalling, and I've started to draw passages of Scripture. This helps me delve into the depths of a passage. The bible is foundational to our Christian walk.
See the series The Word of God
I love the bible, but it is not the focus of our faith - Jesus is.
The bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may delight in His presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.
A W Tozer
Focus on Him
This is a new series, called Focus on Him.
It is about where we can go to meet with God.
It's about different ways we can help ourselves concentrate, and seek His face in worship.
It's about fixing our eyes on Him.
Focus on Him introduction
Walking finding God away from the crowd
Celebration finding God in the crowd
Holy Ground sacred spaces
Music our souls can soar and be healed by worshipful songs
Quiet turning off the noise to actively listen
Worship the chief end of man
Today's song is all about turning and focusing on Jesus.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
A modern interpretation of a classic hymn, with Gospel backing and fascinating rhythms.