Cross-legged on her bed, she stared at her Bible, the words blurring. It was boring, didn’t make any sense . . . and besides, it took time away from other things.
God, are You there? But it felt like . . . nothing. Like her words had disappeared into some strange gray abyss and vanished forever. Can You even hear me?
She closed the Bible, got up from her bed, and went about her day.
The Girl with a Long-Distance Faith
That’s not a true story—but I bet you can relate.
Maybe you feel like your conversations with God are empty words floating away to Neverland to become Lost Prayers.
Maybe you feel as though reading your Bible is dull and treacherous, and you’re not getting anything out of it . . . if you’re even reading it at all.
Maybe you avoid having quiet time because you know it’ll feel distant and dreary, and you’ll walk away thinking, What a waste of time, right before plunging back into the craziness of life.
There’s no evidence of your walk with God. Not when you lash out at your siblings, barely stay focused through another sermon, or feel a sense of relief when you don’t have to volunteer.
And you find yourself casting out into the abyss, God, do You care?
A Relationship Takes Work
The truth is, any relationship is hard work.
Far too often, we let good people slip away because we’re busy and stressed or life is going well.
Maybe you’ve been the one who lets a few months go by without talking, only to look back and realize your friend has become a total stranger.
Unfortunately, the same thing happens in our faith walk. The question is, who walked away?
We let our Bibles collect dust, choose the wrong friend group, save prayer for “another day,” and get so caught up in the motions of life that eventually we look over our shoulders and wonder, Um, where did You go, God? Are You there? Hello—can You hear me?
And then, we’re left with a choice—we could shrug and keep walking or turn around and run home.
The Father’s Heart for Us Is Loving
In Luke 15, Jesus shares a parable of a son who took his inheritance, ran away, squandered his wealth, and was left in depravity. Broke, starving, and with an ache in his heart, he thought to himself, Even my father’s servants have more than I do. So he decided to return home and beg for forgiveness.
One day, the father looked up and saw a speck on the horizon. It was his son coming home. Without hesitation, the father ran to meet him. He rejoiced in his return and prepared a party in his honor.
Guess what? Our Heavenly Father has the same heart for us, His chosen people (1 Peter 2:9). He allows us to wander but, at the first sight of our return, runs to meet us with open arms.
Why Be in the Presence of God?
Now that we’ve established our human need and our Father’s heart, it’s time for a short illustration. See this image?
It demonstrates a cycle in our lives.
Being with God helps us know God, knowing God helps us love Him, and our foundational love for God overflows into every area of our lives. And, to complete the cycle, our love for God means we want to be with Him.
But let’s dig even deeper than that.
You Become Who You Hang Out With
Have you ever hung out with a group of people for a while only to notice something changing?
You suddenly found yourself adopting a vocabulary and tone that matched someone else’s, laughing when someone else laughed, and bouncing your knee when before you were still.
You became more and more like the people you were with the most (Proverbs 27:17). Why can’t that be true for hanging out with God?
When you pray, you’re in conversation with the Almighty. For a while, it might feel awkward and distant, but eventually, you won’t want to stop.
When you read the Bible, you’re reading His letter to you. Studying it just makes the experience even better because now you’re getting so much out of it.
When you hang out with a community of Godly believers, you’re fellowshipping with His chosen people who are also striving to be more like Him every day. Their love for God and people overflows into your life in so many incredible ways.
The Fruit of the Spirit
So, if you’re hanging out with God, knowing Him better, and implementing the things that you learn, you’ll soon discover changes in your life.
Those changes are attributes we often call the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the attributes that pour out of us as we become more and more like God.
Personally, I’d love to have some never-ending joy, unrelenting peace, and deep self-control. Wouldn’t you?
These attributes of and from God are gifts to be nurtured and treasured.
A Rags-to-Riches Story
She leaned the back of her head against her bedroom wall. Her Bible, notebook, and colorful pens were spread all over the carpet beside her. Worship music twinkled in the background, but she blocked it out and focused on her conversation.
Father, I know I can’t see You . . . but I have faith that You love me and are watching me now and listening to my prayer.
I read about the Prodigal Son today . . . and I realized something. I’ve been like that young, naïve boy who ran from his father. And if You’re the father in this story, the One who runs to meet His child even after all he’s done to break their bond . . . I want You.
The music stopped. She smiled and shook her head. Her brother must have decided his game was more important than the music streaming into her room. Oh, well.
Because, even though all was silent, she felt heard.
Amen.
2 Comments
Sarah R. · March 24, 2024 at 4:02 am
Wow. Thank you for sharing this, Alyssa. It resonated with a lot of the things God’s been speaking to me about recently. And the scene/prayer at the end was so comforting and peace-filled. This really blessed me today.
Alyssa B. · April 1, 2024 at 3:29 pm
I’m so glad this blessed you, Sarah. <3 Thank you for reading!