The other day, I saw a video that was talking about how God sometimes won’t answer our prayer because we’ve made an idol out of the thing we want. She went on to explain how God often won’t give us what we want if we want it more than Him. So, what we need to do is take our desire off a pedestal and put God back at the top where He belongs. There is a song called “Clear the Stage”, and the lyrics echo the message in the video:
Anything I put before my God is an idol.
Anything I want with all my heart is an idol.
And anything I can’t stop thinking of is an idol.
And anything that I give all my love is an idol.
We had church later, and while I was praying, I felt like the Holy Ghost was telling me I needed to get back to my first love. I used to get so excited to go to church; I loved it so much. I loved God and all the things of God, but lately my love has gotten cold.
I was reminded of these verses in the Bible where God wants us to return to our first love, which is Him: Revelation 2:3-5 Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name. But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first.
Jeremiah 2:2 Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. “This is what the LORD says: ‘I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness.’”
Many times, you will hear someone say, “You need to fall in love with Jesus.” I’ve often wondered how one can fall in love with someone who isn’t physically here, and isn’t it kind of weird to have “romantic” feelings for God? But now I suddenly realize I’ve had the wrong idea all along. I thought to myself, “How do I feel and act when I really love someone?” The answers came flooding in, and I would like to share them with you.
They’re the first person you think about in the morning.
You open your eyes and the first thing you do is think of them and check your phone for messages. What if our first thought in the morning was, “Thank you, Jesus, for waking me up,” or “Good morning, Jesus”?
You can’t wait to talk to them.
When one or both of you is busy with school or work, you can’t wait until they are free to talk. Sometimes you will even watch the clock and count down the minutes! Imagine if we felt this way about our prayer time…
You always want to hang out with them.
You can’t wait for the weekend or next time you will get to see them. Even a video chat feels like a date sometimes. You will even clear your schedule to make time for them. Going to church regularly and having quiet time at home with God are essential to building our relationship with Him.
You want to give and receive gifts.
Giving your loved one a gift is a natural way to show your affection. Most of us also love to receive gifts. When we love God, we give our time and tithe to Him. He also gives us gifts—love, peace, joy, protection, healing, favor on the job, financial blessings, etc.
You want to read their texts and letters over and over.
You keep all their letters (do people still write letters?), cards, and text messages. When you miss them or want to feel close to them, you go back and reread their words. Our Bibles are letters from God. He tells us how about our story, how much He loves us, and His promises for us. It’s important for us to read our Bibles to keep His word fresh in our hearts.
You love to hear their voice.
Sometimes just hearing your loved one’s voice makes all the world seem right again. I will save voice messages and listen to them when I’m missing someone I love. Not only can we hear God if we listen to preaching, but also in our quiet time with Him. It won’t be an audible voice, but He will speak to our hearts in a still, small voice if we are willing to listen.
They’re the first person you want to talk to when you’re upset or happy about something.
When I love someone and something significant happens to me, I immediately want to tell them all about it. Human relationships are great, of course, but what if the first person you thought to share with was Jesus? Did something good happen? Thank Him! Something not so great? Pray and give it to God rather than vent to someone else first.
You tell them you love them.
Do you say, “I love you,” often when you love someone? I certainly do, (sometimes I even hold back a bit to not smother them!). When you say, “I love you, Jesus,” do you mean it with all your heart, or is it something you say out of habit? I am guilty of going through the motions sometimes, but I want to be more intentional with my affection.
They’re always on your mind.
You think of them throughout your day. Little things remind you of them. You often consider them before making decisions or ask their opinion. All of the above points tie into this one. If someone is in your heart, they will be on your mind. It’s no different with God.
You tell others about them.
When you’re in love with someone, you want the whole world to know. You talk about them to your friends, family, and coworkers. You want everyone to know of your great love and happiness with this person. In the same way, we should tell others about the great relationship and love we have found with Jesus!
So, how do we get to this place of falling in love with Jesus? Well, just like any other relationship, it doesn’t happen instantly. It takes time and dedication on our part. We spend time with Him, read His Word, listen when He speaks to us, obey His will for our lives, and stay away from the things that would grieve Him. The Bible says in James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Jesus is a gentleman; He will never force anything on you. But if you want Him to feel closer, draw closer to Him, and He will reciprocate.
Jeremiah 29:12-14 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord…
Apostolic Momma 