Come Near to God - James 4:8

 Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:8)

Loving Father,

James tells us that you want a close relationship with us. Coming near connotes closeness, intimacy even friendship. But he is also telling us that you wait for us to make the first move in this relationship. You have obviously made the greatest first move by sending your Son, but relationship begins when we turn to you.

I pray that these children yearn for a closeness with their God. That they feel the emptiness when that relationship does not exist and, rather than looking for fulfillment from other sources, they turn to you. I pray that they learn to spend time in quiet with you, allowing your Spirit within them to speak with you and by your relationship with the Spirit, their soul draws near to you to call you "Abba", Daddy. Our upbringing makes it hard for us to think of you that intimately, as a young child addressing their daddy. But we are told by Paul that such is exactly what you want and what you designed us for and what your Spirit within us calls us toward. I pray fervently that these children find that place and rest in it.

Amen