I really do believe that one of the keys to having a closer walk with God is openness and honesty during confession. He has already seen everything that you have ever done, and He already knows every evil thought that you have thought throughout the day. Just be honest with yourself, and be honest with God. Here is something that He impressed upon my heart:

It is not that your sins and failures keep you from My presence, but rather that you keep yourself from My Presence through indifference to Me, and therefore you continue in sin and have failure.

One bible verse that I am immediately reminded of is Proverbs 28:13: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

If only we would realize that it is on God’s heart to restore us back into fellowship. He is always seeking to draw us nearer to Himself – we need only to confess and forsake our sins. He’s not out to get you, He just wants you to turn from your sins, and turn and face Him, and be honest. Be honest with who you are, what you’ve done, what Jesus has done for you, and what God wants to do in your life.

God wants you nearer, nearer, and nearer still to His heart!

I don’t know why, but it seems that very often when I hear prayers in church, they are said in such a way as if trying impress God with eloquence. Yet at the same time, they lack any form of openness, and have not a single drop of genuine sincerity to God. Since when did He seek eloquence and smoothness of speech? Does He not want simply and wholly one thing: your heart? And yet in prayers, it seems we offer up everything but our heart.

Why? Who are we fooling? God can see our hearts perfectly. We might as well tell Him what’s in there, then we will be on the same page with God, and true repentance can finally take place.

Consider the Pharisee and the publican:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” -Luke 18:10-14

*This was originally sent out to the mailing list on 2/2/07*

Hello again,

I wrote a short bit last night, and I thought I would share it with you.

Maybe there is something going on in your life that you have not fully trusted the Lord to take care of? Maybe there is a place where you know God is leading you to do something, but you are hesitant to follow. I sincerely hope that this helps you to step out and trust Him with whatever plans that God has for your life.

Godly Thinking

Do not think sensibly, think godly. To think sensibly is to think only according to man’s intellect – his sense. To think godly is to think according to God’s mind – to think according to the One who knows all, and who has all things in His Hand.

Beloved, do you want to live a sensible life, or a godly life? Was it sensible for Paul, when he was brought before the Romans, to appeal unto Caesar, and go to Rome in chains as a prisoner? (see Acts 25-28) Or for Abraham to leave his own habitation, and to walk out into a foreign land – a country that he did not know? (see Genesis 12) And was Noah being sensible in building an ark – an enormous ark – when there was no rain falling? (see Genesis 6-8) And just think of the immense rewards that came as a result of such insensible, such godly thinking.

Child, is not life more than what you can sense? Can I not do so much more than anything that you could ever think or expect?

You ask for strength to walk a tough path, and I give you wings to fly.

You ask for deliverance from drowning in a rageful sea, and I give you gills, and make you as agile as a fish in the sea.

You ask to be delivered from bondage – from the hand of the oppressor – and I make you not only free, but ruler over your enemy, to be his jail-keeper. (And how do you know that I have not willed this from the beginning? That I have introduced you first as a slave, and then  later as a destined conqueror, to show My great power in your redemption.)

In all things, let Me work. Do not think sensibly, think godly. Give Me space to work, for there is a whole nother dimension that you cannot see, nor comprehend as of yet. And yet I see it, and know it, and implore you to trust in Me. In your heart-faith you give Me room and space to work; else I am cramped down to that narrow area called doubt. I cannot fit into this cavity, and from it I will go.

Dear one, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Yet, can’t you see that faith simply shows this outwardly, while doubt hides it? Doubt is a blindfold, and faith is a looking-glass. Look! Behold and see the love that I have in store for you! Do not think sensibly. Think godly and you will see Me.