walking with Jesus

Today's One Year Bible reading is from Ezekiel 20:1-49. Some leaders come to Ezekiel and ask him for a message from God. God is not pleased with their manipulation, because they weren't asking what He wanted, they were wanting to know information for their personal gain. But notice that they came to Ezekiel, and sat down waiting until he told them what God said.

You and I can walk with God every day, did you know that? For several months I met with a wise spiritual director who helped me to grow in my faith. Probably THE MOST useful, powerful advice he gave me was also the simplest. He challenged me to spend at least thirty minutes per day praying. That's it. Nothing more profound or complicated than that. The goal is to spend about an hour every day, but as long as I spend at least thirty minutes, it seems to work for me. If you follow me on Facebook, you've probably seen my "prayer walk" pictures that I take every day. For me, it works best to take an actual walk outside during my prayer. It keeps me from getting sleepy, which tends to happen if I pray on my knees or in a chair or lying down. Walking keeps me awake (and is good exercise, btw) and my mind focuses on God and my prayer.

In turn I encourage you to do this. Not NECESSARILY while taking a walk outside, though you're welcome to try it if you think it'll work for you. But I encourage you to spend at least thirty minutes with Jesus every day. "What will I talk about for thirty minutes??" you might be asking. Well, the good news is you don't have to talk. You don't have to say one word. Just lifting your thoughts to Jesus is prayer. Just saying, "I lift myself up to You right now," and being silent with Him is some of the best prayer you can experience. Sometimes LISTENING to Him is even better prayer. He'll bring people to mind to pray for. OUT OF THE BLUE He told me to pray for someone I don't even know personally. 

So be like Ezekiel. Listen for what God is telling you, whether the message is for you, your friends, or your enemies. Listen - and spend time with Him. I guarantee you that you'll be glad you did.

God, thanks for calling us to spend time with You.