Day 20 - Pray for Restored and Strengthened Relationships
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. Psalm 145:18-20
Where is God? Is he near or far away? Theologians use the words transcendence and immanence to describe the nature of God’s relationship with us. When we say that God is transcendent, we mean that God is beyond us. In the words of one theologian, he is “wholly other.” He is not like us but far beyond us in his holiness, purity, and wisdom. This aspect of God is well represented in the Bible. The Old Testament in particular describes God as a “consuming fire” whose unmediated presence no human being can approach.
We believe, however, that God is also immanent. That is, he is near to us through his Spirit. We see this aspect of God’s relationship to us throughout the Bible. God is near to those who call on him. He is active in human affairs. He works out his purposes in the world, though with our limited understanding, we cannot always discern what God is doing. God often works slowly on the stage of human history, working out his purposes in the destinies of nations, over decades and centuries. Though God is providentially present in the affairs of the world, he is actively present in the lives of his people.
The immanence of God is most deeply experienced in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God does not merely live with us but in us. In the death and resurrection of Christ, the veil that separated people from the Holy of Holies has been torn down. We have access to the intimate and holy presence of God, mediated to us through Christ’s work and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
The words of the psalm remind us that the Lord is near to those who call on him. When we call on him with an honest heart, calling on him “in truth,” he draws near. The psalm reminds us that God is near to those who seek to do his will but destroys all those who turn to wickedness.
Today pray for restored and strengthened relationships. Pray for God’s blessings on the people in your life and ask for grace to reconcile with others where needed. Ask God to enable you to be the first to forgive; use kind words at all times; show mercy to others; and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in your relationships.