Step of Faith

Dear friend, today, we are going to meditate on James 4:8. The Word says, “Come near to God, and He will come near to you.” Yes, God longs to be gracious to you. He longs for you to come closer to Him. As the Bible says in Deuteronomy 4:7, the Lord was very close to the Israelites. Whenever they prayed and looked to Him, He came closer to them. And in Luke 13:34, our Lord Jesus says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”

Many times, the Lord longed to gather His children, the Israelites, close to Him, but they were not willing to come. At one point, while Jesus was praying, He looked at the whole city of Jerusalem and He wept. At that moment, He said these very same words. Jesus cried over the people who would not come to Him. Likewise, God longs for you to come to Him. Please listen to His voice. Please come to Him. The Lord is still calling out today, saying, “All who are burdened and heavy laden, come to Me, and I will give you rest.” Even today, God is giving you that call to come to Him. Will you listen to the call of God? Come closer to Jesus. No man in this world can truly help you.

We live in a selfish world, a world where people crave for more and more, often forgetting others in their pursuit. But Jesus is different. He is a generous God, ready to give you generously whatever you ask. So come to Jesus. Lay your burdens at His feet. Jesus is calling you. And what happens when you come to God? As we see in Hebrews 7:25, “God is able to save completely those who come to Him.” Not only does He save, but He also intercedes on behalf of those who come to Him.

I’d also like to share a beautiful testimony from our Prayer Tower. Our dear Bro. Arun Venkatesh shares his story thus: He lives in Pollachi. He and his wife had no knowledge of God. Ten years passed. They had two children, but he was addicted to alcohol. Every single day, he drank and even worked in a liquor shop. Because of this, his wife became angry and eventually, they divorced. Then one day, the father of a friend introduced him to the Jesus Calls Prayer Tower. He encouraged Arun to call and pray with the prayer intercessors. Arun began calling the Prayer Tower almost daily. One day, that same friend’s father took him to the Bethesda Prayer Centre. There, Arun prayed sincerely for 40 days. On the 20th day, he gave up his alcohol addiction completely. He also started his own business. He bought an auto-rickshaw and began working independently. And on the 40th day, something miraculous happened. His wife came running back to him, and they reunited as a family. Today, they are living a joyous family life, all because they came to Jesus. Jesus came near to them and He built their home. Will He not do the same for you, dear friend? Yes, He will. Come to Jesus today.

PRAYER: 
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for longing to be near me and calling me to come close to You. In a world full of selfishness and broken promises, You alone remain faithful and generous, Lord. I come running to You with all my heart, lifting up my burdens, my fears, and my needs to You. Draw me close to You, Lord, and let me feel Your embrace. Fill me with Your peace, Your love, and Your rest. Today, I choose to answer Your call, to walk towards You and never turn away. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.