Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word.
Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:17-18 HCSB
Have you ever been in any kind of relationship with anyone without communication? I can honestly say I never have. In order for us to relate to anyone regarding anything there must be communication.
Oddly enough though, plenty of people will tell you they are in a relationship with Jesus Christ. They claim to believe in Jesus. They claim to love Jesus. But, that’s another thing. How can you love someone and not communicate with them?
Communication has also become so impersonal these days. We would rather email, text or message through social media than have a conversation by phone or yet alone in person. It’s quicker and easier. We can contact a person through texting or email. If they are busy they don’t have to respond right away. For those like me whose memory isn’t the greatest, we can send them a message while we are thinking about something and they can respond at their convenience.
God has written communication with us through His Holy Word. He gives us His commandments and tells us what is expected of us regarding our behavior and our treatment of others. He tells us what He expects as far as our relationship with Him is concerned. Paul describes God’s Word as the Sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6:17. He tells us to take this with us.
In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul lists the protective gear that God provides for us to use as we wage war with the devil on a daily basis. The offensive weapons that he lists are the sword of the Spirit which is God’s holy word. And then he tells us to pray at all times. Again he tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing.
A constant open line of communication is essential for the survival of any relationship. Once one party ceases to communicate with the other party the relationship is doomed. If one party fails to listen to the other party the relationship is doomed.
Many of us have the false belief that we can just say we love the Lord and be okay. We think communication with Him is not necessary. We think he understands that we don’t have time to talk to Him through prayer or to listen to what He says to us through His Holy Word, but this is not true. God expects the same out of a relationship with us as we expect from others. No one wants that so-called friend that only calls when they really need something. No one wants the friend that talks badly about them and then buddies up to them when they need something. We want to be respected, honored and cherished by our friends and loved ones. We want to know that they want to spend time with us and communicate with us. God wants the same from His relationship with us. He wants us to be true friends.
Isaiah 59:2 tells us our sin creates a barrier between us and God. Psalm 66:18 says, “if I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” Our sin hinders our communication with God. 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If you think you are in a relationship with the Lord, but you are not in communication with him, you are deceiving yourself. God wants your time and attention. For those of you who say you don’t have time, read the first few chapters in Genesis, you will see that God created time. If you pray to Him, He will help with your scheduling of it. He will help you make time to spend time with Him. He will help you have time to communicate with Him. He wants a relationship with you. That can only happen if you are willing to spend the time in communication with Him.
If the only time you call out the Lord’s name is when you take it in vain, you might want to rethink that. If things have gotten so bad that you feel the need to use His name in vain, cry out to Him. Confess your sins to Him and beg His forgiveness. Ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit to help you not to sin.
He wants a relationship with you, but He leaves it up to you. I hope you choose wisely.
Have a great day!