Jesus Calls Me Friend: Creating Space for Your Children to Encounter GodSample

As we learn how to make God real to our children, we must consider why we should care about intimacy with God in the first place. The faith walk isn't just about memorizing Scripture or seeing God move. It's about knowing God's character and enjoying His presence. Are we craving miracles and wonders or the pleasure of God's company? God wants us to be His people. That doesn't mean engaging in a transactional relationship but walking out a close, personal walk with Jesus.

You may be thinking, "Okay, that sounds great. I want a personal walk with God, but how do I hear from Him? He often feels far away."

Hearing God's voice feels like this mysterious experience reserved for only a few Christians. Yet Jesus tells us in John 10:27 that His sheep will recognize his voice. Who are His sheep? Those under the care of the Good Shepherd. If you follow Christ, you are one of His sheep, and you can hear His voice.

So why don't we always hear it? Sometimes, it's difficult to discern God's voice because of past woundedness, current sin, or a lack of time to slow down and sit in His presence.

We must honestly ask ourselves and the Holy Spirit: What's holding me back from intimacy with God? From hearing and following His voice?

Because the Bible states that when we earnestly draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). Are we drawing near?

Reflect: God's Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12), and frequent engagement dramatically impacts our lives. The Center of Bible Engagement recently surveyed 40,000 people to analyze their Bible reading habits. They found that people's lives changed after reading their Bible for four or more days.

People who did this experienced a 30% drop in feelings of loneliness, a 32% drop in anger issues, a 60% drop in feeling spiritually stagnant, and a 200% increase in sharing faith with others.

How often are we getting into God's Word? How often are we getting our children into God's Word?