Communing With God

Prayer in its simplest form is talking to a friend.

In the garden, God’s friends were Adam and Eve, who in turn responded by talking about Him (not to Him as we so often do in prayer as if He can’t hear or won’t answer). They talked about His beauty, His creation in the garden, of His glory and learned of His character. And by doing so they learned whose they were in relationship to Him.

Rather than our “spiral staircase” of self-discovery that too often leads us no higher than the second landing – panting and frustrated! God reveals Himself and in His light, we see ourselves more accurately.

In the garden, there was an utter dependence on God. There was no want or need other than Him. So their conversations were free of any ill intent, desire for fleshly gain and manipulation (like making promises and vows to condition God to perform miracles) which sadly muddles our prayers.

Just as it was in the garden, friendship with God is central to the purest and sweetest fellowship we can experience. Only through Jesus Christ we can attain such a fellowship with God, even in this generation over taken by gross darkness. And through the fellowship of the Son, we not only have a Savior but a Friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24b, John 15:14-15).

Friendship and fellowship are inextricably linked.

Even after Adam and Eve disobeyed, God’s desire for fellowship did not stop which is true today when we sin and refuse Him. Rather God made a promise to restore the relationship in Genesis 3:15.

What a beautiful mystery that God would desire to save us so He could fellowship with us every moment of our lives. As we grow in this holy fellowship, the desires of His heart ignite our own for Him. God’s all consuming love will stop at nothing to have all of us – body, mind and spirit.