Benescke Janse van Rensburg
In his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie writes: “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
Do you know people who only talk about themselves - their successes, their challenges, their possessions, and even their children's achievements? It can be quite challenging to be in a conversation with someone who only focuses on themselves. They never ask you anything and if you share a story, they seem totally uninterested.
The real question is if perhaps we have such a relationship with God? When we pray, we focus so much on our "Prayer list" and what we want, that we completely forget about the One with whom we are speaking. We never ask Him how He is doing. What is on His mind? What is bothering Him? What makes Him excited? Is there something in our lives that He wants us to change? Is there perhaps a need in somebody else’s life that He wants us to meet?
In Genesis we read that God created Adam and Eve to have a relationship with them. He walked with them in the Garden of Eden day after day. He spoke to them. His desire was to have a relationship with them – a friendship. Their sin caused a shift in this relationship between God and man that could only be restored by Jesus' death on the cross. Now we have the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can hear God’s voice through the Holy Spirit inside of us.
In James 4:8 we read: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
My challenge to each of us is to take the step of faith and start to be interested in God. To build a relationship with Him. A friendship. Let’s get a journal and write down what we hear in our spirit. Without exception, the guarantee is there that we will be astonished to what we hear, that we previously missed due to our focus only being on ourselves. God bless.
Father God, thank you for your relationship with me. Forgive me for those conversations in the past during which I only focused on myself. Please help me to hear your voice when You are speaking to me. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
• Assignment: Get a journal and write down what you experience in your heart during your conversation with God. Measure it against the Word and I can assure you, you might be surprised at how involved God is with your life.
• Feedback: Join in by giving feedback or sharing your testimony of God's breakthroughs in your life at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I look forward to hearing from you. Benescke.