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Friends with God - Part 1

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15

This word ‘friend’ doesn’t mean a casual acquaintance, but a close, trusted, relationship. It refers to a king’s inner circle. In royal courts, the servants must keep their distance; but the inner circle enjoys: (a) close contact (b) direct access (c) confidential information. ‘But how can I become a friend of God?’ you ask. Through constant conversation! God wants more than weekend visitation rights, or a brief appointment in your diary. He wants to be included in every activity, every conversation, every problem, every thought. You can carry on an open-ended conversation with Him throughout your day, talking with Him about whatever you’re doing at that moment. In his classic book, Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence, a humble cook in a French monastery, writes: ‘The key to friendship with God is not changing what you do, but changing your attitude toward what you do. What you normally do for yourself, you now begin doing for God, whether it is eating, bathing, relaxing, or taking out the rubbish.’ Some folks think they must ‘get away’ in order to experience intimacy with God; they haven’t learned to practice His presence in all things. No place is closer to God than where you are right now! In Eden there were no rituals - just a simple loving relationship between God and the people He created. Unhindered by guilt or fear, Adam and Eve delighted in God and He delighted in them. ‘Is such a relationship possible’? Absolutely! Listen: ‘‘we were restored to friendship with God by the death of His Son’’ (Romans 5:10).

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me see and be with you in all that I do today and everyday. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.