Did you know that you can know God in a personal way, and not just know about Him? Have you ever wondered how you can have your very own relationship with God? What may surprise you is that God wants you to know Him in a deep and personal way even more than you want to know Him. He created you and knows everything about you.
“O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all. “ Psalm 139:1-4
God has a plan for your life!
“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
But when you don’t have a relationship with Him, you live according to your own plans. Each one of us does wrong – this is what the Bible calls sin.
”Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
Sin is what separates us from God. Until we choose to stop living our own way, apart from God, we cannot know God in the way He wants us to know Him.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
”For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
But because God loves you so much, He made a way for you to know Him in a deeply personal way. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us as payment for our sin.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
It is because of Jesus Christ that we can know God and receive forgiveness from our sin. You cannot earn salvation by doing good works, being a good person, by being baptized or just attending church. Salvation is a free gift from God to all who will choose to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus is the only way to receive salvation. We must accept Him by faith.
”Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6
”For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8
We must each make a personal choice to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior.
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." John 1:12
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." Rev.3:20
When we try do things our own way we end up empty and frustrated. To receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior means we give control of our lives to God and stop trying to do things our own way. We ask Him for forgiveness of our sin and believe that we have received forgiveness because of Jesus’ death on the cross. We surrender control of our own will and allow God to direct our lives, which gives us meaning and purpose.
You can give your life to Jesus Christ right now by praying with faith. Praying is just talking to God, in your own way, with your own words. Faith is believing that He will do what you are asking of Him.
If you’re not sure what to say, you can pray this prayer:
“Jesus, I need you in my life. I confess that I have sinned, and I have been living life my own way, apart from you. I believe that you died on the cross, so that I can be forgiven of my sin and begin a relationship with you. I invite you to come into my life and make me the person you want me to be.”
If you have just invited Jesus into your life, click here for more information on beginning a new relationship with God.
If you are unsure about what this all means and have some questions, click here.