It is always good to draw near to God. I can’t think of any time that we don’t benefit from being in communion with our Loving Father.
It is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God. (Psalm 73:28)
When things are going well in our lives it is easy to feel content and that we don’t need to spend time with God. Yet it is exactly because God is there for us that we have the luxury of feeling good. At these times, it is important to recognize our many blessings and be grateful to our Lord. Continuing to grow our relationship with the Lord during peaceful times is critical so that we are ready with a solid trusting foundation when times change.
When our lives are busy, we feel overwhelmed and can be tempted to skip prayer time in order to jump right into the busyness of the day. But when we take time for God and talk to Him about our worries and needs, it truly is amazing how much more smoothly our days can go. Maybe it only feels that way when you can begin the day with the calm and peace that only God provides (“the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give” John 14:27). But I really believe when you include God in your day He watches over and guides how it progresses.
When things are not going so easily for us, it is much more natural to turn to God for help. We tend to pray harder amid the trials and draw near to God when we know we aren’t in control. When the future is uncertain we reach out to God, but then we need to follow the second part of this verse from Psalm 72 and trust in God too. Asking God to answer our prayers must be followed with a surrender and belief that God is the one in control and can be trusted to bring us through everything. Letting go of worries brings peace, humility, comfort, and strength to face whatever comes our way.
Regardless of what stage you are in right now, keep drawing near to God. Attending Mass more frequently, adding an extra 10 minutes of prayer each morning and evening, praying a Rosary daily, and reading Scripture are all ways to bring you closer to God. Doing these things will bring you blessings and the peace that only He can provide.
Copyright 2019 Colleen Mallette
Image Copyright: Pixabay.com (2017), CC0/PD
This article was originally published at CatholicMom.com and is shared here with permission.
