SMS Q's Faith

Q. Won’t praying improve our relationship with God

No and yes. Our relationship with God is by faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone. Jesus has done everything needed to be done for us to have a perfect relationship with God. Christians are children of God and eternally members of his family. Nothing can change that in the slightest. That is extremely encouraging and gives us great confidence and assurance. So “no.”
But that is not the whole story. God is personal. We are personal. Our relationship with God is personal. So, just as any other personal relationship thrives on communication, so our personal relationship with God thrives on communication as we read his word and pray to him. Our awareness of God, and all that he has done to establish our perfect relationship with him, increases as we read the Bible and pray. So, “yes.”

But, it is possible to “fall away from the living God.” We can stop being God's people. So reading the Bible and praying and being in church and serving others and telling others about Jesus all keep us from moving away from God in our lives and help us to remain faithful and obedient. But, at the same time we can have confidence in God that he will keep us close to him.

Confused? Pray about it. Remember, Jesus has done everything necessary for us to have a perfect relationship with God. And we need to do everything God tells us to do to stay close to him.


Neil.
(thoughts and questions ~ neil@nac.asn.au)