Rediscover God's Love: Draw Near

Draw Near is a devotional that will help you reflect on what it means to draw near to God which is especially significant during the Christmas holiday season.

There was a time in my life when I believed God had abandoned me. I remember thinking, “If you love me, God, why did these things happen?” I questioned God’s love because I believed His justice had failed me. The wounds I carried were deep. My heart grew cold, and I pulled away. My passion for God began to dim. The fire had gone out.

Sometimes our loss of passion comes through disillusionment, apathy or bitterness. We can sometimes take God for granted. We can grow bored in our faith and are easily led astray. The weight of tragic circumstances can make us question God’s love and promises to us. Instead of growing closer to God, we fail to draw near.

Remember when the serpent spoke to Eve in the garden? The conversation began with, “Did God really say…” Doubt and unbelief enter whenever we begin to question God’s word and character as well as His love for us.

How to Reconnect with God

So, what do we do when we find ourselves separated from God? How do we reconnect? James 4:8 gives us a clue, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

The first step to drawing near to God is to admit that we need Him and then acknowledge that He truly loves us despite what we have wrongly believed. When we know that God loves us, it’s easier to approach Him in prayer to begin the process of reconciliation.

The way to know that God loves us is to allow ourselves to rediscover who He is. The place to start is by reading and studying the Bible. This will help us gain a better understanding of God’s character and nature as well as how He truly sees us.

Praying is having a conversation with God. It’s okay to have raw and real conversations with God. He is not offended by our honesty. When we pray, and we should do so every single day, God’s presence grows stronger. We grow stronger.

So, let’s draw near.

“I pray that out of His glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” ~ Ephesians 3:16-17

Bible Verses That Instruct Us to Draw Near

HEBREWS 10:22 NIV: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

PSALM 73:28 NIV: “But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”

JEREMIAH 29:13 NIV: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

ISAIAH 55:6 NIV: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

Questions for Self-Reflection

After reading the Bible verses above, answer the following questions:

What do the verses say about our hearts regarding drawing near to God?
What will we discover about God when we draw near?
What other Bible verses can you find regarding “drawing near” to God?

Suggested Prayer for Drawing Near to God

Heavenly Father, I thank you that you are near to us, and that I can find you whenever I seek you with my whole heart. Your presence is a place of refuge and safety where I can come to find peace and rest. Please help me to know your goodness and give me the courage to tell of your goodness so that others may seek you, too.

Please forgive me for the ways I have taken refuge in anything or anyone other than you, and for times when I have pushed you away. Thank you for your Son Jesus, whose shed blood sprinkles, covers, and washes me clean. The blood of Jesus gives me the ability to draw near to you in purity and with a clear conscience. Help me to draw closer each day as you draw closer to me, too. I am so grateful! In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.