A Prayer When Your Christian Life Grows Dull
By Betsy de Cruz
“O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?” – Deuteronomy 3:24
I long for a growing relationship with God that brings joy. But, honestly, I spend a lot of time coasting through my Christian life on autopilot. After I check in at church on Sunday or have my morning devotional, it’s as if I put God back into a box and go on with my life until next time. Instead of living in awe before our loving, powerful Creator, I get comfortable with the status quo.
I forget who God really is, and the doldrums set in.
Maybe you’ve experienced it too. Your spiritual life grows dull, and you settle into a routine of church on Sundays and daily Bible reading when you manage to make time.
We lose our desire for God, and we wonder if this is all there is to the Christian life. When our spiritual lives grow routine, Moses’ prayer in Deuteronomy 3 enlivens our hearts to seek more of God. What if we joined in this prayer and asked God for a renewed vision of who He is?
First let’s look at the context. Moses prayed these words before the Israelites entered the Promised Land after 40 years in the desert. Consider for a moment all that Moses had already seen God do. Yahweh had sent 10 plagues to Egypt, delivered His people from slavery, and parted the Red Sea for them. God had provided manna and quail for the Israelites to eat and led them through the desert in the form of a pillar of cloud and fire.
Moses had seen miracle upon miracle, yet he prayed, “God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness.”
Friend, what if we stopped a moment to ponder all that God has done in our lives? When has He provided, cared, healed, delivered, blessed, or guided us? What Red Seas has He parted for us?
Yet God has only begun to show us His greatness. He wants to do so much more in our lives.
When we begin to fall into a spiritual rut, let’s turn our hearts again towards God’s person and power. Even if we don’t feel awe or wonder, we can ask Him to awaken our hearts and give us a hunger for more. More of God. More of His presence and power.
Let’s pray:
Lord, there is no one like you in heaven or on earth. Your power created the universe and holds it together. Your love sent your Son into the world to save and redeem us from sin. Your faithfulness has sustained your people for generations.
Thank you, Father, for all you have done in my life. Thank you for the many ways you have shown yourself faithful. Forgive me for taking you for granted and for not seeking you wholeheartedly.
God, I know you have only begun to show me your greatness and power. Awaken in me a holy awe for who you are and what you do. Lord, give me greater spiritual hunger and thirst, so that I seek you with my whole heart. I want to know you more deeply and experience more of you in my life. Thank you for your promise to reward those who seek you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Betsy de Cruz helps overwhelmed women take small steps to invite more of God’s presence and power into their lives. Connect with Betsy to get your free Quiet Time Renewal Guide and other resources at FaithSpillingOver.com. Her book More of God is a distracted woman’s guide to more meaningful quiet times. After living in the Middle East for 16 years with her husband and two children, Betsy landed in Texas, where she still enjoys drinking chai with friends.
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