* Drawing Near

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded --James 4:8

Do you remember the time when you entered a new relationship with God? Your appetite for truth was insatiable, you attended every Bible conference you could, and you were faithfully involved in every ministry and program the church had to offer. Everything you learned about God filled you with joy and ignited zealous activity. The phrase, “You’re on fire for the Lord” was a description of your life.

Like any new relationship,
with time the flame can grow dim

If the flame has worn out, what happened? Did you lose the wonder of worship as the years passed on? Life grinds on monotonously and church attendance becomes rote behavior--sing, listen to a sermon, greet a few people with handshakes and smiles, and go home.

If that sounds familiar, return to God by submitting to James' imperative: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" --James 4:8

Some practical encouragement on how to draw near to God.

Understanding Worship

Worshiping God is the essence of being a Christian. Jesus explained that point to a Samaritan woman this way: "An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers" (John 4:23).

If we are Christians, we are worshipers. Our hope of eternal life is really an anticipation of unhindered, unadulterated worship. "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). With that in mind, we evangelize the lost to gather more worshipers. Worship then is at the heart of everything we are and do.

Tragically, many Christians today have set their affections on the temporal things of this world, exchanging their great privilege of knowing God better for that which is mundane.

King David had the best this world had to offer-money, power, success, fame-and yet he said, "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple" (Psalms. 27:4)

Worship is an overflow of a mind
renewed by the truth of God.

Proper worship makes God's Word become discovery rather than dry and lifeless study. When you discover a great truth about God, you meditate on that truth-mulling it around in your mind-until it captivates your whole thinking process. That in turn will lead to worship.

Study the Bible with the goal of discovering the wonders of God. Once you latch on to some great truth, fill your mind with it and ponder it in prayer before God.

Turn your heart back to God
The failure to worship God in spirit and in truth is not just an unfortunate lapse in spiritual enthusiasm, it is a sin. To love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind is not the greatest suggestion in the Law, it is the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:36-40). Confess your sin and clear your conscience.

Prepare yourself
Let's look at Hebrews 10:22. "Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." We are to draw near "with a sincere heart." That speaks of a genuine heart, devoted to pursuing God with your whole heart.

Draw near "in full assurance of faith."
Each of us has to be willing to say, "I'm coming to God in full confidence that I am saved fully by faith in Jesus Christ." We can be fully assured that God accepts our worship, not because of what we do, but because of what Jesus for us at Calvary.

Draw near "having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience."
Come to God with the knowledge that you are unworthy to be in His presence. The only reason anyone can come to Him is the blood of Christ, which was shed on the cross as a cleansing for sin.

Draw near having "our bodies washed with pure water."
This is the daily cleansing by the Word of God that brings to light sinful thoughts and exposes sinful behavior. Before you worship, confess the sins that God uncovered through His Word so you can draw near in purity.