Grow In Friendship With God

Once we come to the Lord, we need to grow in intimacy and devotion before the Lord - here are 7 steps that are foundations of friendship with Him. As we build these fundamentals into our lives, we will also find that we have made pathways into our hearts for deeper friendship with the Lord:

• Pray because the Lord is listening to you:

2Chron. 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers of the people offered in this place.

Ps. 34:17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. (Prov. 15:29)

Ps. 69:33 For the Lord hears the poor….

Ps. 116:1 I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.

Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.

Matt. 7:7-8 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

1Jn. 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Father, I lift my voice to You – knowing that You hear and answer prayer. It is my joy to talk to You and pour out my heart before Your throne. I come boldly.

• Listen because the Lord is speaking to you:

Ex. 15:26 Saying, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and will do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you.

Deut. 5:26 For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire, as we have, and lived?

Ps. 50:1 The mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and calls the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Jn. 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Heb. 3:15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Father, I believe every word that comes from Your mouth. I choose to turn away from what I see with my human eyes, and I trust in You alone.

• Believe because the Lord makes promises to you:

2Chron 20:20 Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God; so shall ye be established. Believe His prophets; so shall ye prosper.”

Matt. 21:22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Mk. 9:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Mk. 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Mk. 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

Jn. 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Eph. 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.

Father, I tune my ears to the sound of Your voice. I still my heart so that I can listen to every whisper.

• Obey because the Lord is calling to you:

Deut. 4:30 When you are in tribulation and all these things come upon you, in the latter days you will turn to the Lord your God and be obedient to His voice.

Deut. 13:4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and [reverently] fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and cling to Him.

Deut. 15:5 If only you carefully listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to do watchfully all these commandments which I command you this day.

Deut. 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

Jer. 7:23 But this thing I did command them: Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people; and walk in the whole way that I command you, that it may be well with you.

Father, I determine to joyfully obey your commands. May my heart be soft as I seek to obey inwardly as well as outwardly.

• Receive because the Lord is giving to you:

Jer. 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Ps. 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Col. 2:6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him

Eph. 3:20 to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us

Father, I recognize that You are a giving God. There is none like You in generosity and favor. I am ready to receive Your blessings and I set my heart to obtain more and more of You.

• Change because the Lord is forming in you:

Ps. 51;10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Jer. 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.

Gal. 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

Phil. 2:12 ...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Father, I yield to Your had as You form more of the character of Christ in me. I long to look like You, sound like You, smell like You, taste like You and Touch others – just like You. I surrender my all for this end.

• Worship because the Lord is worthy:

Ps. 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Ps. 99:5 Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at His footstool— He is holy.

Jn. 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Rev. 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Rev. 5:12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Father, I worship You with passion today. You are far above all. You are worthy of honor and praise. My heart is a river of love and worship. You take my breath away!