Dry, Dark, Finding Him in Quiet time

Pslam 42 they are thirsty for God

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deut 31:8

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1Cor1:9

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done... 1chron16:11-12a

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:9-13

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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11-14

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-8


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You are normal. God is not leaving you. It is worth it to fight for his presence, to seek his face always. We can set the boundaries (creating space for God to move) and hope. It us up to God after that. God is faithful. He will not abandon us. He will not leave us. He calls us into his fellowship. He has good plans for you, will give you good gifts, and is working all out for our good.


To think about...
Spiritual Pathways Service Description: Christians don't always access God in the same way. In fact, there are various ways in which we can feel God's presence in our lives. Some of us experience God relationally--in the presence of other believers. Or our spiritual development may come about in intellectual pursuits. People may find God in service to others. Some may have to be alone and contemplative. The opposite of contemplatives are the spiritual activists, those who like to get others going into Kingdom action. Other spiritual pathways include those who find God in His creation and those who experience Him strongest in worship. It is important for each one of us to develop and use our spiritual pathway, but also respect the pathways of others.
Take the test here... http://common.northpoint.org/sacredpathway.html
In what ways are you experiencing the presence of God ?

7Habits of QT
http://site.e100challenge.biz/downloads/7habits.pdf

Coming up with a plan
http://lifecoachinginchrist.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-only-god-can-do-and-my-part-too.html

Henri Nouwen's thoughts on Quiet time
http://lifecoachinginchrist.blogspot.com/2008/12/quiet-time-with-jesus-from-way-of-heart.html
http://lifecoachinginchrist.blogspot.com/2009/01/moving-from-solitude-to-community-to.html

The Spirit's intercession
The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Romans 8:26,27

Are there sins or encumbrances holding you back?
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1
Sometimes the things that hold us back are not sin except that they hold us back from God. What do we live like we trust in? Food, money, a house, people's opinions of us, etc. I went on a plane and found that I did not have peace and was worried about dying for the first time. I had place my hope in a job and in getting a perfect house and in all the things that I wanted or wanted to do. But the material and all those dreams could vanish in a moment. Do I have hope in God?
So I skipped a few meals and re-realized that all that I was hoping for was like dirt compared with God. Why was I so bent on a home and money was becoming more important. Give it away says the LORD. It's not yours to keep. I will provide, I am your comfort. He was there the whole time but I got so focused on the desires of the world that I lost sight of him. I had to give that up before I could see him again in the fullness I was used to.
What are your encumbrances? What is God calling you to do with them?