Purpose Driven Life: Day 11

BEING A FRIEND OF GOD



POINT TO PONDER:

God wants to be my best friend.


VERSE TO REMEMBER:

"The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him." [Psalm 25:14a]


RICK WARRENS THOUGHTS:

Your relationship with God has many different aspects: God is your Creator and Maker, Lord and Master, Judge, Redeemer, Father, Savior, and much more. But the most shocking truth is this: Almighty God yearns to be your Friend!

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you." [John 15:15].

THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY WAYS TO GROW IN FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD: (i) Through CONSTANT conversation; and (ii) Through CONTINUAL meditation.

Friendship with God is built by sharing all your life experiences with him.

A common misconception is that "spending time with God" means being alone with him.
Everything you do can be "spending time with God" if he is invited to be a part of it and you stay aware of his presence.

Practicing the presence of God is a skill, a habit you can develop.
You must train your mind to remember God.
At first you will need to create reminders to regularly bring your thoughts back to the awareness that God is with you in that moment.
Benedictine monks use the hourly chimes of a clock to remind them to pause and pray "the hour prayer." If you have a watch or cell phone with an alarm you could do the same.


D-MONK'S THOUGHTS

As an addict and a Christian, I yearn and hunger for an experience of the presence of God. I want to make myself available to God always. But, for whatever reason, I don't.

I have been reading some of the reflections of Brother Lawrence recently. He is a monk who sought to put everything he did in the presence of God. Whether it be prayer, washing the dishes, or taking a walk, he always sought to keep the presence of God in his mind.

I think God can and WANTS to be a friend. The question is whether I am willing to open my life to him. He stands at the door and knocks, will I let him in?