God is everywhere including in us – with such amazing accessibility, are you always open or do you limit when and where you connect with, pray, praise, worship and ‘hear’ from God? I’ve experienced those things powerfully in church buildings and night clubs, during worship events and whilst listening to ‘secular’ music, in prayer groups and walking along beaches, during sermons and during movies, in quiet times and whilst hanging out the washing… you get the picture.
But there was a time when I was closed, my heart, eyes and ears were shut outside of allocated spaces. Why?
Although I understood I could pray to God at any time I was influenced by the church culture around me that encouraged the idea there were specific places, times, styles and resources where this would happen; the assumption was it wouldn’t happen without those things. I remember, along with others looking ahead to the next event, talk, worship session…etc to properly connect with and ‘hear’ from God instead of realising I could do so anywhere at any time.
Fear of rejection and lack of control also encouraged limiting God.
It felt safer to initiate connection with God in settings where there was lots of faith activity, fellow Christians and resources. From the outside I appeared very committed and ‘Godly’ because I was attending and engaging with lots of Christian activities, and I was committed and God focused but I was limiting my connection and faith through my misunderstanding. I was unintentionally trying to put God in a box with my mind set and shutting myself off.
Have you experienced anything similar?
If you’re affected by any of these things please know there is nothing to fear, we connect with God and are prompted in different ways and at different times. Sometimes subtle senses and other times more specific, sometimes seasons of intense activity and other seasons of quiet. I encourage you to let go of any pressure, you are loved more than you can comprehend. Control can be comforting but it can hinder and limit, maybe you need to let go and challenge your expectations. Expect God can be just as powerful when you’re sat in your garden as when you’re sat in the church building. Expect God is just as present whether it’s a song you like or dislike. Expect God can be just as revealing when you’re using technology as when you’re face to face with others. Expect your worship is just as valuable sat at your desk as in an organised worship session. If you’re walking with God, why would God be limited to allocated spaces and patterns we define? Isn’t it wonderful God isn’t.
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