How can we "draw near to God" in our daily lives today? Scripture Focus “But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.” — Psalm 73:28 The Heart of the Verse - “It is good” — Not optional, but the best, most beneficial path. - “To draw near” — An intentional movement, not passive drift. - “I have made the Lord GOD my refuge” — Closeness is secured in a Person, not a place. - “That I may proclaim” — Nearness fuels witness; private devotion overflows into public declaration. Practical Ways to Draw Near Each Day 1. Daily Word Intake • Open Scripture with expectancy; it is God’s living voice (Hebrews 4:12). • Read slowly, aloud if possible—let truth reach both mind and heart (Jeremiah 15:16). • Aim for quality over quantity: one psalm prayed through can nourish more than hurried chapters. 2. Continual Conversation • “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). • Transition moments—commute, chores, waiting—become quiet altars. • Use Scripture itself as dialogue: respond to God’s words with gratitude, confession, petition. 3. Conscious Obedience • Jesus links love with obedience (John 14:21). • Start each morning asking, “What clear step of obedience have You already shown me?” Then do it. • Obedience positions the heart to sense God’s nearness (John 15:10). 4. Corporate Gathering • God places His presence amid gathered believers (Matthew 18:20). • Worship, fellowship, and the Lord’s Table reinforce daily intimacy. 5. Intentional Solitude • Even brief withdrawal, as Jesus practiced (Mark 1:35), recalibrates the soul. • Silence invites the whisper of the Spirit (1 Kings 19:12–13). 6. Created Reminders • Scripture cards on mirrors, steering wheels, desks. • Phone alarms labeled with promises (e.g., James 4:8). • A gratitude journal capturing daily evidences of God’s nearness. Guarding Against Distance - Unconfessed sin deadens spiritual sensitivity (Psalm 66:18). Keep short accounts. - Busyness can masquerade as faithfulness; prune what crowds out communion (Luke 10:41–42). - Cynicism erodes trust; rehearse God’s past faithfulness to combat it (Lamentations 3:21–23). The Blessings of Closeness • Guidance: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). • Confidence: “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). • Fruitfulness: “The one who remains in Me and I in him will bear much fruit” (John 15:5). • Witness: Nearness naturally spills into proclamation—“that I may proclaim all Your works” (Psalm 73:28). Walking It Out Today, choose one practice—linger over a verse, whisper prayers through the day, schedule ten minutes of silence—and guard that space. Tomorrow, add another. Over time, drawing near becomes the rhythm of life, and like Asaph, you will find: “It is good to draw near to God.” |
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