JULY 9, 2014 - DAY 29 (war against the devil)

Tonight I pondered why some days I feel close to God and other days I do not. Is it an emotional feeling? What does it exactly mean to feel close to God? How do I know when we have an intimate relationship?

So I wrote down a few ideas for myself.

I know when in mature (mainly the woods) I can worship God much more easily and naturally. I think I also feel closer to Him in nature. I don't really know why or how or what that even looks like...but I would much rather be with God in nature than in buildings.

I also feel closer to God when I hear his voice very clearly and know without a doubt what I am hearing is from him.

Dreams and visions from God help me to feel closer to him.

When I can physically feel God (in wind form) I feel closer to him and very special. I love those times even if they are rare.

There was probably more on the list but I forget them. But I think it's important for us to know....WHEN and HOW do I feel close to God? Is it always through reading the Bible? Is it during worship music? How? When? I can feel close to God through reading the Bible but not always. Same with worship music. Maybe it's not always the same...I don't know.

Anyway, tonight I also listened to the next sermon on Luke. It was a good reminder to trust God and his promises...no matter how absurd they seem. Seem Luke 1 where Gabriel the angel tells Mary she will be the mother of the Messiah. Her response is so humble and she believes Gabriel and accepts the task. I want to be humble like this.

I spent time in prayer for people who need it. A friend's Mom who is mentally unstable right now. Just praying that God would release her mind from the devil's control. I also prayed for my friend's brother who is going through divorce, an alcoholic addiction, etc. And for my niece who is struggling after receiving her immunizations. I hate the devil and am sick of the hold he has on people's bodies. There can be freedom and I pray for that. 

I also spent time praying and crying for my husband and sons. For my son and unborn son to KNOW God and be madly in love with God. I would be crushed if my kids didn't know Jesus. It would be the worst thing possible in my mind. So I weep for them. I definitely need to contend for my kids more and in general to pray for my husband more too. I once heard somebody say that the Devil doesn't care if we sit on the sidelines. He'll attack our loved ones whether we're praying for them or not. If we 'sit out' and don't pray for them....he'll still attack. He's not a gentleman. He doesn't fight 'fairly'. He will just fight. So I HAVE to fight back in order for there to be protection over my loved ones. Somebody once also said that in this world....when your kids go to war, you pray for them. You want them to survive the war. So what makes us think we don't have to pray for them in a spiritual war. We want them to survive AND thrive. We want THE best. So that's what I need to do. Pray pray pray.