How to Get Closer to God
By Rick Warren
“I will go home to my father and say, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.’” Luke 15:18-19 (NLT)
The closer you get to God, the more he will transform your life.
Throughout Scripture, we see transformed lives. When Isaiah got close to God, he was transformed from being depressed to standing courageously. When Paul finally met Jesus Christ face to face, he was radically transformed from a persecutor of Christians to spreading Christianity throughout the Roman world. And as Moses grew closer to God, he transformed from a privileged son of Pharaoh to a humble man leading God’s people out of Egypt.
Jesus told a story about transformation—the story of the prodigal son. It’s a story of spiritual transformation, about getting close to God after wandering away.
Here’s the short version of the story. A young man takes his inheritance and wastes it on careless living. Then, when things go from bad to worse, he finally says, “I will go home to my father and say, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant’” (Luke 15:18-19 NLT).
The prodigal son reminds us of our tendency to wander away from our Father who made us and loves us. But more than that, his story reminds us of God's faithfulness, forgiveness, and compassion. When the son returned home, his father saw him from a distance and “ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20 NLT).
This is how spiritual transformation begins. The moment you say, “God, I’m tired of living the way I’ve been living,” he runs out to meet you. He takes the initiative. He even celebrates, like the father did with his prodigal son: “Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him . . . We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life” (Luke 15:22-24 NLT).
You may be closer to God than you’ve ever been before. Or maybe you’re feeling like the prodigal—you’ve wandered away and need to renew your relationship with God. No matter where you are—near or far—you can get even closer to God and experience transformation in your life.
Your Heavenly Father is always ready to deepen his relationship with you, ready to greet you with open arms, and ready to bring transformation into your life.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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