Another great read

Perhaps you find yourself with a few minutes to spare in your day. Perhaps the thought of sitting down to read at the end of the evening only brings thoughts of dozing off. Perhaps reading doesn't rank real high on your "gotta do it today" list. Perhaps this is the book just for you!

Stormie OMartian, author of The Power of Praying books (more than 7 million copies sold), writes about this prayer that changes everything. She includes 30 chapters (5-7 pages each), that cover topics as to reasons to praise God now, and times when praise is crucial. Each short chapter includes a powerful prayer, scriptures, and even questions for further thought. It's a book I pick up here and there, and every time God speaks to me in my present circumstances.

Here's an excerpt that hit me today:

We don't want our children to take the good things we give them for granted. We want them to be grateful and appreciative. We don't want them to only come to us for money or things. While we enjoy giving these things to them, we don't want that to be the biggest part of our relationship. We want them to want to be with us just because they love us. And we, in turn, want to simply be with them, so we can impart ourselves and our love into their souls.

God wants that too. And sometimes he withdraws the fullness of His gifts and presence so we will seek after Him. Just to be with Him.

God wants us to value Him more than anything He can give us. He delights in giving us things. It's His nature. It gives Him pleasure. Bu He will withhold when it's necessary, when it seems that we desire the gifts more than the Giver. He wants us to love Him enough to simply be with Him. To seek Him as our greatest gift. Just because He is.

It takes faith to come to God simply to be with Him. It proves, first of all, that we believe He exists. And that He is our greatest gift. We're not just throwing a prayer out in the universe to see if God might pick up on it and do something. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). When we go to God just to "be" with Him, He is our reward. When we come before Him in worship for no other reason than because we value Him above all things, He rewards us with Himself.

The way to maintain a passion for His presence is to be in His presence often. His presence is addictive. The more we experience Him, the more we want.