As I reflect on the chaos of people's lives one thought repeats itself in my mind. People are not intentionally mindful of God. They may say that they believe that He exists but they don't consider Him in their daily walk. Even many active, church going Christians do not take God into account when planning significant life events.
In Matthew chapter 22 in the Bible it says we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. That's the first and the greatest command that God has given to us. If we are to honor that instruction we should be mindful of His presence every day of our lives, not just for an hour or two on Sunday.
Hebrews 4:13 says..."all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account".
I really do think we will all stand naked and empty handed before the throne of God and give an account for our lives. In Matt 7:21-23 Jesus says that not everyone who calls Him Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. Some will say "we served in the church! we did this and that!" but He will say "I never knew you". Those will be terrifying words. To avoid them we must intentionally consider God and talk to Him regularly.
God can read our minds- every thought but we honor Him when we intentionally pray directly to Him. Also, I think a good practice for any believer would be regular self-examination. If we were working in Ebola infested areas we would regularly check for symptoms. The same is true for sin- it is deadly and toxic to the soul, we should examine ourselves and confess any known sin to God. It gives us a clean conscience which leads to peace of mind. I know many believers who brush off that thought. "Oh, all is forgiven!" they say somewhat flippantly. I think regular self-examination and humble confession reminds us of our weaknesses and the need for God to strengthen us.
Many years ago I started praying in a pattern. I created an acronym C-L-A-P.
Confess- I start out my time by coming clean- admitting known wrong and asking for forgiveness.
Listen- I quiet my mouth and allow God to speak- or to bring thoughts to my mind.
Ask- I pray for unsaved loved ones, friends with health issues. I ask for the things I desire.
Praise- I end my prayer time with grateful praise and thanks.
My prayer is that you will consider God.
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