By: Dr. Samantha V. Evans
A few months ago, would anyone have imagined that the entire world would be going through a crisis at the very same time? When Covid-19 took the world by storm day by day, week by week, month by month, businesses closed their doors and millions of persons lost their jobs. So many persons are now wondering if there will be any funds left for them to cash out when they retire while others are wondering if there will be a job for them to go back to once this pandemic passes us by. The lines at the unemployment offices have reached an all-time high as no country has ever expected to be supporting so many citizens at once.
Now that so many persons have exhausted their unemployment benefits and panic and worry has started to set in, is it now a good time to pray? I understand totally that many persons are not believers and some can't recall the last time they called on the name of God, but can I tell you that this is the perfect time to do so? I want to set your mind at ease by letting you know that even though you may not have talked to God in a long time that he is always available. God is always ready to hear the prayer of anyone who is serious about seeing their situation change for the better, to re-establish a broken relationship with him, or to draw closer to him.
The main question you may have is how do you draw closer to God after so much time has passed? More specifically, how do you begin a conversation with God after you have shelved him for such a long time; you may wonder if he will even hear you. If you are sincere in your reason for approaching him then the answer is yes. Before Jesus left this earth, he told his disciples that he will not leave them alone, but that he would send the comforter who is the Holy Spirit. His role would be to lead them into all truth. That role he played in the lives of the disciples is the same role he wants to play in our lives today. All we have to do is to let him in.
The best way that we can form a relationship with God is through prayer. Prayer is talking to God. Just as you talk to a person, you can talk to God. As I was growing up, persons in church made it seem like you had to be in a particular posture to talk to God and honestly, I grew up believing that if I could not present myself in that particular posture that I was not able to talk to God. As I got older and journeyed towards improving my relationship with God, I came to realize that this view was not all true. Yes, posturing has its place but I want you to realize that no matter where you are in your life that you are able to talk to God without posturing on your knees or on your face. I need for you to put aside all of the things you didn’t do or say right or the things you left undone and trust God with whatever it is that is causing you to lose sleep right now. Why worry when you can pray! Just as a conversation between two persons requires dialogue, when you talk to them, normally when you talk to God, there is a response but you have to listen.
I want to encourage you to find a quiet place to reflect on all that is going on in your life right now. Take a note pad with you and divide a page into two columns: good and bad. In the good column, make a note of all of the things that are going well and in the bad column is where you will write all of the things that you are worrying about right now. I am reminded of a scripture that says to cast your cares upon the Lord because he cares for you. I had to learn this the hard way. For years, I used to worry myself into a hole and no matter how much I worried, my situation only got worst. I did this foolery for years until I woke up and realized that God only wants the best for me. I had to get to the point in my life where I believed that I deserved his best. Sometimes, we allow worldly possessions and accomplishments, money, power, and acceptance to give us a false sense of who we are to the point where we want more and the more we get, the more miserable we become. When life throws us a curve ball, we quickly realize that what we thought was important takes a backseat to the chaos that has become our new normal. When this happens, can I suggest that you not worry but pray!
When you talk to God, you may feel uncomfortable at first especially if it has been a long time since your last conversation, but can I tell you that he will be delighted to hear from you! My advice to you is to be honest with what you say. God already knows your heart so there is no need to hold back or to lie. All you need to do is to start and then wait on him to respond. I am sure that it may sound strange to some of you and others of you may not want to wait on his reply, but if you trust him, he will make your path clear.
The Bible says in John 10:14-15 “I am the good shepherd, my sheep knows the shepherd and the shepherd knows the sheep.” What this scripture is saying is that the children of God know him and he knows them. All of us are children of God so this means that as long as we are willing, God will always hear our cry. All I can say is that when you open conversation with God that your motives are pure. All purity of heart requires is your honesty and sincerity in the creator of all things, but for this relationship to be formed, it requires time spent in the presence of God on a regular and consistent basis. Let today be the start of what can become a beautiful relationship with the Lord.
Be blessed!
Dr. Sam
Footnote: 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7; Psalm 55:22; Matthew 6: 33; Psalm 23:4; Jeremiah 29:11
About The Author
Dr. Samantha V. Evans is a trained counselor by profession and the owner of IT TAKES A VILLAGE Learning, Career and Counseling Center. It Takes A Village is focused on mentoring and grooming children and young adults in the area of education and work/life skills to prepare them to positively impact our community. Dr. Sam has a heart for helping and ministering to people, especially young adults that society has turned their backs on.
Dr. Sam is also an author, speaker, radio host, global career facilitator and college professor. She has authored several books including Quiet Reflection Series A, B, C, & D – Books that teach life skills, Please Don’t Touch Me There, Doorways to Sin and her latest book Embracing your Spiritual Gifts, which was released in June of this year.
Dr. Sam believes in and follows the doctrine of Jesus Christ and strives to live a life that is pleasing to Him and to let His will be done in every area of her life.
Here's how you can connect with Dr. Sam:
1. Email Samanthavaldier@yahoo.com.
2. Subscribe to her radio talk show www.thearkradio.com
and YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbOsmAIlHTKTJaNlNASwDwQ
3. Follow her on Facebook @DTS Ministries
4. Purchase her books on http://www.sellfy.com/dts-ministries