February 03, 2013

How Can I Build a Love Relationship with God? - Janis Cox

God Loves Us - We can pray for others.



I knew my time to write for Inscribe was fast approaching. However, I didn't feel pressured to sit and write ...

 yet.


Yesterday morning I prayed for help to put into my mind thoughts for February's topic of LOVE.

And guess what? The first thing I read was my prayer bulletin and in it I read:

"To fear is to expect punishment. To love is to know we are immersed, not in darkness, but in light" ~ Mother Teresa.

I remember being told that the opposite of fear is love and this quote confirmed that memory.

And I recalled a Scripture:

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18, ESV).

So turning to my Bible study, Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby, what did I read for that day?
 

A Love Relationship with God


Now how awesome is that? Ask God and He gives me the answers.

What have I learned about a love relationship with God? Most importantly:

I need to make my time with God my priority every day.

Time with Him enriches and deepens the relationship I already have with Him.

There have been many times I have been redirected to remember this. The Holy Spirit nudges me often if I forget. God wants our time.

Think about any relationship you have had. How did you build that relationship?

You spent time with that person.


How can we expect to know God if we don't spend time with Him?

Sometimes I think I need to "do" something for God to be loved by Him. That's wrong.

"God did not create you for time; He created you for eternity. Time - your lifetime on earth - provides the opportunity for you to become acquainted with Him." (Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby)

What do you think? Are you trying to "do" for God or are you working to build a love relationship with Him?

I invite you, as writers, to join other Christian writers in reading and writing for Him; let's build a community.


My memory verse for this week has been:
"Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is first and greatest commandment" (Matthew 22:37-38, NIV)



Janis, a former school teacher and small business owner, found a new passion in writing in her retirement. She has published a couple of devotionals and a number of articles.

As owner of Under the Cover of Prayer she writes often.

Her children's book, Tadeo Turtle, is now available. An accompanying curriculum can be obtained as well.

Email her at Janis or visit her at www. janiscox.com.



14 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for your kind comment today Janis. You have a lovely blog here. Much inspiration. :)

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  2. Nancy,

    Thanks for dropping over here.
    Blessings,
    Janis

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  3. Jan,

    I love how He does that.... where everywhere you turn, there is something more on what you are pondering on or working through, and in your case, Love.

    Everything He ever did has been about relationship....the relationship that the Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit share... and how they wanted us from the very beginning to be in that amazing circle of Love with them.

    What a perfect posting for this month.

    Thanks, Jan!

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  4. God never fails us if we ask Him for help if we just believe and have faith. Prayers are powerful and He hears us and listens. It's a good example how he blessed you with the "push" that you needed to go through with this post--which inspires people like me. Anyway, I think time is the most important thing that we could give to give to our Father. If we spend just a little of our time for Him, your relationship and bond will surely strengthen and grow. Thank you for being an inspiration. :)

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  5. Thanks for alerting us to keep our love relationship with the Lord the top priority of our day to day life. Nothing else deserves more time and devotion as it does.

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  6. Brenda,
    I can't seem to reply individually to each comment on Blogger.
    So these will all be at the end.

    I waited until the last moment to write this - something I don't like doing ... for me who loves to plan ahead. But God kept saying, "don't worry I will give you the words at my timing.

    Trusting in Him - and He did come through.
    Thanks,
    Janis

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  7. Tracy,
    The study Experiencing God has been the best - for learning to build a relationship with Christ. It is solidifying all that I have already learned and opening new doors as well.

    Blessings,
    Janis

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  8. Erin,
    You don't know how hard it was NOT to write before He said to. But He needed to teach me a little more, guide me a little more and make me trust Him a whole lot more.

    Yahoo - He did it.

    Thanks for the comments,
    Blessings,
    Janis

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  9. Precious Moments,
    Agreed - those precious moments are worth every second. It is a great "fill up" every morning.

    Blessings,
    Janis

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  10. "How can we expect to know God if we don't spend time with Him?"
    I love this, Jan...thanks. It fits perfectly with what we spoke about at our last Bible Study. x

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  11. Glynis,
    Thanks so much. Time with God is so important. And time with each other if we want to really get to know someone - right?
    Love God; love your neighbour.
    wow - both commandments.
    Blessings,
    Janis

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  12. I love Blackaby! Praise God that His perfect love casts out all fear. Without love, nothing else matters. God bless,
    Laurie

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  13. Laurie,
    It is great to meet someone who has taken or read Blackaby. He certainly has been stretching my faith.
    Blessings,
    Janis

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