How much of a personal relationship with the Lord do we want?

How much of a personal relationship with the Lord do we want? The closeness of our relationship with Him, the quality of our relationship with Him depends on us.

We know the Lord lives in us, if we are His children, and that makes the relationship possible. Jesus told us in John 14, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. ...You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ...on that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:16-20, italics added)

Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, lives in us—yet the degree to which we know Him, love Him, experience Him as person on a continuing basis, is up to us. He doesn’t force Himself on us at the moment of salvation, or at any other time in our Christian life. We choose whether or not to spend time with Him, in prayer and in His Word—and that creates the foundation of our love relationship with Him.

We choose whether or not to be in fellowship with Him, as we decide whether or not to confess our sins on a regular basis. Isaiah 59:2 tells us: “Your iniquities—[your unconfessed sins]—have separated you from your God.” The choice is ours.

Our prayer: Lord, help us to recognize and choose to confess every sin as You bring it to mind, so that our relationship with You is not hindered. In Jesus’ name, amen.