God's Influence on Our Lives

I am constantly amazed at the influence of God upon my life.  Some of these influences are very dramatic while others are very subtle and they are woven into my daily living.  I am truly thankful for the presence of God in my life.  God is surely interested in the daily development of my life.  God desires to impact every area of my life so that I can reach my full potential as a human being.  This is the challenge that we all face; "Will each of us be willing to surrender our lives to God so that His influence can fully impact us?" 

I recently read these thoughts from Charles Stanley and I would like to share them with you.

"In our culture, God’s name is oftentimes mentioned with little reverence. In fact, many people actually use it as a curse. Even among those who love Him, it is far too common to use His name casually, without taking time to ponder who He is. When you say a blessing at mealtimes, for instance, do you realize that you are talking to the almighty Creator God who rules over all things?

Our view of the Lord impacts three areas of life.  First, it affects our prayers. As we come to know Him better and better, our desires will start to look like His goals for us, and our petitions will align more closely with His purposes. Furthermore, as we recognize His greatness and power, we’ll become more confident that He can accomplish mighty things—and we will venture to “pray big.”

Second, our understanding of His righteousness and goodness influences our behavior. If God has these attributes, surely it is in our best interest to obey gladly. We will desire righteousness and be quick to repent of sin.

Third, our faith is impacted. Grasping that Jesus is holy, good, and powerful grows our trust in Him. Knowing our awesome God and remembering His great works will further build our confidence in Him.

Do you personally know our loving and holy heavenly Father? He invites you into an intimate relationship with Him. But, as with any good friendship, time and intentionality are necessary to understand Him and learn His ways. The more you do that, the more your prayers, behavior, and faith will be impacted."