Have you ever been with a friend -walking and talking and having a great conversation? What makes the conversation so good is that you are able to not just hear what they are saying, but also feel what they are saying.You can then be attentive to the person and their needs. Due to the proximity, you feel you have their undivided attention. You can make eye contact and are able to see the person’s body language. These are important characteristics of having an effective conversation. I remember a time when I had a moment like this. Once the conversation was finished, my friend and I went our separate ways. However, as I was walking away, I had remembered one last thing to tell her. By then, she seemed far away, but I could still see her. I then shouted her name and tried to tell her what I had to say. She couldn’t hear me, though. I repeated myself multiple times, but she still couldn’t hear me. I got frustrated and had to walk all the way back to explain to her what I had been trying to say. This example demonstrates a recent worship experience of mine. No matter how hard I prayed, I couldn’t feel the Lord's presences. I couldn’t hear Him, and it felt like He couldn’t hear me, despite my shouts. I couldn’t hear Him reply. And I couldn't understand how things had gotten to this point.
Earlier, I was praying and worshiping in my room, but I felt a little ignored because it was as if I couldn’t feel the Lord. Just like the analogy, I used to feel I was in close proximity with Him. I could hear all He was saying and I felt comfortable telling Him everything. This doesn’t mean I haven’t been praying and speaking to Him. However, there has been a difference due to my negligence to stay in constant communication with Him. It's like this -there are times I get upset with my fiance for calling me and barely talking, or sounding like he would rather not be on the phone. Then I ask, “why did you call me if you would clearly rather not talk?” He typically replies with something like, “If I didn't call, you would then get mad that I didn’t call you all day.” This can replicate the conversations we may have with God, sometimes. God knows our hearts, and if you treat him as if you are just meeting a requirement, of course the moment you share with Him may result in one not being completely present. Only one person truly cares to be there.
The further and further you grow away from God, the more difficult it is for you to know what He is saying. This will result in you squinting or straining yourself, trying to make out what it is He might be trying to tell you. At this point, you might find yourself playing charades with the Lord’s requests.
It’s even more difficult when the Lord called you to do something and initially, you were obedient to it. However, You may have slowly began drifting and getting distracted by other things. Then, by the time you look up to figure out what's the next step or assignment, you realize you are too far from the source to know what is next. Therefore, we create what we think our destiny should look like. God isn’t the one who leaves; we do. We put our guard down at the very moment of comfortability. And we pick back up the very thing it took for us to let go, in order to draw closer to God. We must also be careful not binge or relapse after a fast. This can open doors for old spirits to creep back in. It's time to draw closer because YOU ARE JUST TOO FAR!! When you get to far, it leaves room for other things to fill in the gap between you and God. The moment I left my room from worship, I realized that I had done something that had put me in a position to no longer feel as close to God as I had before. So now, I not only have to take the same route to get back to Him, but I also have to pass right by all the things that pushed me too far away in the first place. Take this time to become aware of what has happen, and then run to get back to Him.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity.
Jeremiah 29:12-14
And I, when I am lifted up[a] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
John 12:32