When an individual comes to the realization that they need and want God in their life; there needs to be a deep understanding into what happens the moment they ask God into their life - and what does not happen! Why? Because God takes everything, we say to Him very, very seriously!

Everyone who comes to God asking Him into their life needs to fully understand this fact: their heart attitude MUST be sincere and pure! And they need to know that the saying of a prayer to God is NOT a quick fix to all their problems! Nor is it instant breakfast! Each person needs to know that God has boundaries, and He does expect us to understand when we ask Him into our lives we become “Co-Workers” with Him! Why? Because we have work to do, and God does NOT do all the work for us!

Pastor David Jeremiah puts it this way: “The morning after saying a sinner’s prayer you will NOT wake up a complete other person! You will NOT wake up NO longer being selfish, angry, mean, etc.!”

When you have sincerely prayed a sinner’s prayer with a pure heart attitude it is then you have the tools to begin your transformation into becoming who God created you to be!

We MUST Work out our Salvation WITH GOD! (Philippians 2:12) (2 Corinthians 6:1) Plus, we must understand that God expects us to follow through while working with Him! God is not going to wave a magic wand and fix everything in our lives in one moment! We must be willing to work WITH God allowing Him to not only change us but allowing Him to teach us how to walk the walk like Jesus did! This requires work! It is not a Quick Fix! The working out of your Salvation takes a lifetime of preparation for us to be ready to abide in Eternity! We cannot do what we want to do here on earth and expect to change the moment we leave this world – it does NOT work like that! We do NOT change the moment or the second we enter Eternity – we must be already preparing ourselves while here on earth – that is what working out our Salvation is about!

“Then he (Jesus) said to them all. “Whoever wants to follow me must say NO to themselves. They must pick up their cross daily and follow me.”

Luke 9:23

“We have such a short time to prepare for such a long time. By that I mean we have now to prepare for then. We have an hour to prepare for eternity. To fail to prepare is an act of moral folly. For anyone to have a day given to prepare, it is an act of inexcusable folly to let anything hinder that preparation. If we find ourselves in a spiritual rut, nothing in the world should hinder us. Nothing in this world is worth it. If we believe in eternity, if we believe in God, if we believe in the eternal existence of the soul, then there is nothing important enough to cause us to commit an act of moral folly.

Failing to get ready in time for eternity and failing to get ready now for the great then that lies out yonder, is a trap in plain sight. There is an odd saying in the Old Testament, “Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.” (Proverbs 1:17) When the man of God wrote that, he gave the birds a little credit. It would be silly for a bird watching me set the trap to conveniently fly down and get into it. Yet there are people doing that all the time. People who have to live for eternity fall into that trap set for them in plain sight.” (A.W. Tozer)

God is a SUPERNATURAL GOD, and He wants a relationship with every individual on this earth! However, God does not give mankind whatever, they want - simply because they want it! And simply because they invited Him into their life!

The saying of what is referred to as a sinner’s prayer is an invitation to God to come into your life and guide you each day for the rest of your life!

Before we go on when Jesus was on this earth, He never said to anyone, “Lets stop and say a sinner’s prayer.” He simply looked at the individual and said, “FOLLOW ME!” And they did just that! (Matthew 9:9 and Mark 2:14)

Upon making up our minds to invite God into our life and stopping to ask God into our life it is at this point God wants us to: speak to Him directly! We do not need someone prompting us what to say! There should be NO repeat after Me’s! God wants us to say what is on our heart to Him personally – one on one!

I have a question for you: when we allow someone to tell us what to say in any given situation in our life – are we saying what is in their heart - or ours?! I have learned in my life that we need to speak freely with God from the moment we ask Him into our lives and for the rest of our lives!

Asking God into our life is a very intimate moment and it is – just between God and us! Speak to God from your heart and tell Him what is on your mind and heart! Then LISTEN! Be patient. Wait and LISTEN! Give God a chance to SPEAK!

We do not need anyone to prompt us. We just need to talk to God! During this private moment you are making a promise to God! You are telling God that you want Jesus in your life, and you want to walk as Jesus did!

Our relationship with God is NOT built on fretting business. To know someone, we must spend time with a person, and this includes God! A personal relationship with God is not based on our knowledge of scripture, nor is it based on our knowledge about God! Nor is it based on our experience in years gained from going to church and living a religious life! Do not misunderstand me! I am not ruling out reading your Bible, nor am I ruling out going to church – that is not what I am saying! Knowing God and having a relationship with Him is based on time spent with Him! All the while learning to hear His voice and allowing God to give us direction for our day. In so doing we will become a NEW and CHANGED person! Jesus walked in obedience to His Father! And we must walk the same!

And Jesus said, “When you have lifted the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me, he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” (John 8: 27-29 NIV)

A personal relationship with God is based on knowing God one on one! NOT knowing ABOUT Him! Plus, it takes letting God give you direction for your daily life, and it takes letting Him correct you and change you.

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Moses, and so many others would not have had a relationship with God at all if they had NOT spent time with God! However, we know they had one-on-one time with God and lots of it! Their individual relationships with God were NOT based on their religious experience, nor from reading the Torah, and it was not based on what they knew about God; it was based on spending time with God – one-on- one! 

Let us take Noah for instance he did not walk around with a Torah, nor did he have a Bible in his hand because - there were not any! He knew God personally! If that had not been so Noah would - NOT have found “favor” with God! Noah knew God from one-on-one personal experience and from spending time talking and listening to God on a moment-to-moment basis!

IF this were not so Noah would never have been able to receive such specific direction in the building of the Ark. Plus, all the direction for the animals, and for the care of his family. Therefore, because of his relationship with God and his obedience to God Noah and his family were spared death! Only eight (8) people were saved out of all the people on the earth at that time!

When people say what has been called a sinner’s prayer you are making a promise to God that you will live your life for HIM! So, when you wake up the next day after saying that prayer and you go about your day doing your own thing - and you are not trying your best to do what you believe God wants you too - then you have broken your promise to God!

You see when we have given our life to God and asked Him into our life – the commitment has been made and our life is NOT our own anymore Therefore, at this point we have no right to do your own thing anymore! Why? Because “You were bought at a price.” (I Corinthians 7:23 (NIV))

Jesus laid down His life for us! We are either going to keep the promise or we are not going to do it at all! It’s that simple!

What kind of commitment does one make if they really meant what they say? If they meant what they said, they made a commitment to God to allow Jesus into their life; to “follow” Him and “walk” like Jesus did while He was on earth!

“This is how we know we are in him - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” 1 John 2:5a-6 (NIV)

Now, if you gave your word to God in a sinner’s prayer (inviting Him into your life declaring that you want Jesus as your Lord and Savior and if you haven’t followed through with that commitment the following example is one way you can obtain a fresh start:

First, you will need to get with God and ask for His perspective regarding where you are at in your walk with Him at that point - be patient and listen to what God’s tells you!

Example prayer: “God, I did make a commitment to you, and I said I wanted Jesus to be my Lord and Savior - up until now I haven’t really done that. God, please forgive me – I repent (really mean it). Please, show me where I went wrong, and specifically let me know what I need to do to start moving forward to follow through with the words I said to you. Father God, please give me strong determination to follow through this time!”

Our relationship with God cannot be built on doing what we want to do or what we think we need to do! To have friends we MUST spend time with them – getting to know them! Thus, building a strong relationship and - SO it is with God!

A personal relationship with God is not based on your knowledge of scripture, nor is it based on your knowledge about God! Nor is it based on your experiences gained in years from going to church and living a religious life! There are many people who have gone to church for many, many years and they know a great deal about God! However, they do not KNOW God!

To make a point I’m going to share the following which is truth: Over my lifetime I have read several books about Billy Graham. I have listened to him preach many times on TV, and I have heard him speak in person and on the radio! I have a great deal of head knowledge regarding Mr. Graham. I even have an idea where he lived in North Carolina. However, I did not have a relationship with Reverend Graham. Therefore, he did not have a relationship with me! Now, I might have been able to spot him in a crowd – but even if I attempted to shout “hello” to him – Mr. Graham would not know me – he would not have known my name!

You see all the head knowledge I have about Mr. Graham did not a relationship make! It would have taken time spent talking and listening to him on a one-on-one basis over time for me to know him personally!

The same goes with God – time spent alone with God daily brings each of us into an intimate relationship with God!

When you wake up in the morning a quick reading of a prepared devotional, or a quick read of a chapter in the Bible and a quick prayer doesn’t create a personal relationship with God! If that were the case Abraham, Noah, Moses, and many others we read about in the Bible never would have had a chance to get to know God! Why? Because we know they did not have the ability to pick up a prepared devotional nor did they have a copy of The Torah! Their relationship with God was not based on their religious experience, (going to church, and reading Christian books). It was based on spending time with God one on one!

In Noah’s case God gave him explicit measurements and a tremendous amount of direction to build the Ark. – Noah had to have known God’s voice, or he couldn’t have accomplished the task! It took Noah approximately 200 years to build the Ark! And by the way, God gave the people living at that time 120 years to repent and change – they refused! If they had repented there would have NOT been a Flood!

Understand, I’m not against going to church or reading Christian books! I have done that for many, many years! I’m writing to you about spending time with God one-on-one! I’m writing to you about making ample time in your day to spend time with God listening to His voice! Giving Him time to tell you what - HE wants you to do each day! Plus, allowing Him to tell you what not to do each day!

The reading of the book of John in the Bible gives us some of the greatest examples of how Jesus conducted His life on earth. Jesus spent alone time with God! Jesus did nothing without consulting with God first!

“So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” (John 8:28 NIV)

“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” John 12:47-50 (NIV)

So, to walk around saying you have a personal relationship with God and basing it on anything other than time spent alone with Him then you are missing out on what your relationship with God is truly and purely about. A personal relationship with God is based on knowing Him personally and recognizing - HIS VOICE! That takes spending time talking to Him and then sitting still and listening to what He has to say about what you just shared with Him! It takes time to listen for His direction for your daily life, and it takes time to allow Him to correct you and change you. Look at the biblical written examples of people that knew God personally! Once again - Noah didn’t walk around with a Torah, nor a Bible in his hand. There weren’t any! Yet he knew God personally or He wouldn’t have found “favor” in the eyes of God!

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” Genesis 6:8 (NIV)

There is no basis in the Bible for us to think that Noah had any one to really teach him about God. He knew God from a personal one on one experience - talking and listening on a moment-to-moment basis!

God takes the words we speak very, very personal! When we have made our commitment to God – it is at that moment we entered into a covenant!

WHEN we have worked out our Salvation with God – we have obtained favor with God – and that is when GRACE Applies!

Working out your Salvation begins when you have totally given your life to God, and you have recognized that working out your Salvation “with fear and trembling” is the transformation process and it is the being born again process all rolled into one! So, take it very seriously!

“Jesus said: “For I have set you and EXAMPLE so that you may do as I have done for you.” John 13:1 (NIV)

 

(sw-h)

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