You don't have to search no more / Oh, I'm the one You're looking for
Travis Greene's "Respond" beautifully captures the fact that God is a relational God. The beauty of what Jesus did for us on the cross is not only that He saved us from the penalty of our sin but also He repaired our relationship with God so we could live as His friends. (Romans 6:5-11) God pursues our hearts, looking for companionship with His people and He desires for us to respond.
I love what Psalm 27:8 says: My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming."
God invites each of us into conversation and communion with Him. Let's look at some verses in Psalm 27 and talk about three ways you can communicate with God to foster deeper friendship with Him.
#1 Vulnerable Conversation
When You call me, I will respond / When You call me, I will respond / When You pull me, I will come running to Your arms / I will respond to You
Prayer can seem like an intimidating thing if you're not comfortable with it yet. Talking to the God of the universe is kind of a big deal, right? It's easy to put pressure on yourself to "get it right." If you've been around church environments for a while, you might have also noticed that sometimes it's challenging not to slip into routine and go through the motions of talking to God. Say the right things, ask for the laundry list of needs to be met and then go about your day. But it doesn't have to be that way.
I want to encourage you with this: when you talk to God, open up and be vulnerable. Talk to Him like you would a close friend. That doesn't imply irreverence, it implies intimacy, or close relationship, with God. Talk to Him freely about what you're excited about, what's worrying you, what you're going through right now, what needs for others are on your heart?
Yes, God knows everything about you already (Psalm 139), but there's something powerful and connecting that happens when you intentionally express to God what you're thinking, feeling and going through that deepens relationship Him. When you open up and share a piece of your life with a trusted friend, don't you feel closer to that person? Doesn't your relationship grow? The same happens in our relationship with God.
The amazing thing about talking to God is that while we are exhorted in Scripture to set aside intentional time alone with Him in the secret place (Matthew 6:6), our conversation with God is not confined to the secret place. Because God lives in you and me through His Holy Spirit, we can talk to Him at any time. Pray to God throughout your day, even if it's a quick prayer you say in the silence of your heart because you are in public or doing another task. Have a vision to live in a continual conversation with God.
#2 Scriptural Conversation
You sit high / Still You're looking / For somewhere You could abide / I'm right here / I'm the one
When you approach your time in the Bible, start by asking God to teach you from His Word. Then, talk to God as you read the Bible.
As you read, when questions or comments come up in your heart, don't just think them, say them to God. Did you come across a verse in Scripture that describes God's character? Why not pause and take a few moments to praise Him for that part of who He is? What about verses that give you an instruction to follow? Pause and express your desire to follow His ways wholeheartedly. Ask Him how you can apply that command to your life? Did you find a promise from God to us as His people or a truth we are exhorted to believe as followers of Christ? Ask God to help you believe that truth and to understand it more.
It's amazing the conversation with God that can come out of reading His Word if you'll just pause and talk to Him about what you're reading.
#3 Worshipful Conversation
I'll come to You, right where You are / I'll come to You, I just wanna be there / I'll come to You, to You, my Father / I'll come to You, right to Your arms
One more thing we see in Psalm 27 is that David spent time meditating on who God is, delighting in who God is and responding to God with praise. (Psalm 27:4-5) You can do the same when you spend time in God's presence.
Something I love to do when I spend time with God is open to the psalms that are songs praising God's character and actions, or sometimes to New Testament passages like John 1:1-14, Colossians 1:15-20, Philippians 2:5-11 or Hebrews 1:1-4 that describe who Jesus is. I'll take some time to linger in those passages and just think about who God is and what He's like. Then, I'll spend some time praying some of those verses back to God as praise and thanksgiving to Him, like we talked about earlier. Why not give that a try in your time with God as a way of connecting with Him?
You could also turn on some worship music and sing along as a way of praising God.
Final Thoughts
Just like the song says, God is your Father and Friend and He is looking for you to respond to Him today. He made you so that you could seek Him and know Him. I hope this song and these thoughts inspire you and give you tools to help you do that in an even deeper way.
Find "Respond" on Travis Greene's latest album, Broken Record. Listen on Spotify and Apple Music. Read the full lyrics of "Respond" here.
NRT contributor Jasmin Patterson is a lifelong fan of Christian music who is passionate about helping others connect with Christ. She lives in Kansas City where she serves in college ministry and runs a blog to help seekers and believers discover and live biblical Christianity.
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