Friday, November 25th, 2016
RELIGIOUS VS. RELATIONAL
I talked to Tyler last Tuesday evening. “I’m in a valley, Pat. Everything seems dull. I’m just going through the motions with my prayer time.” He was calling me because I’m his mentor and he needed some advice to liven up his soul.
I asked him some questions to more fully understand his situation before I dispensed my advice. “You’ve got too much of a laundry list to pray for, Tyler. You need to simplify your prayer life and let the Holy Spirit show you what to pray for. I’d suggest you concentrate your time on pursuing God and let Him fill in the details.” This was the same advice Pastor Bill had given me the week before. “I’d also suggest you add some hymn singing to your regimen of prayer and Scripture reading to introduce more lively praise and worship.”
I received a phone call the next morning from a very excited Tyler. “Pat, it worked. I went to a prayer room last night after I talked to you and pursued God, and it was awesome the things He showed me. And this morning my roommate and I introduced hymns into our joint worship time. It was amazing. I’m alive again.”
Tyler told me some of the things the Lord had revealed to him when he pursued Him with all his heart. He ended the conversation by saying, “You know, I used to be religious sometimes and things went well, but I eventually would fall away and get back into drugs and alcohol and stealing stuff. That day last July when I met the real Jesus, I went from being religious to having a relationship with Him all the time.”
Congratulations, Tyler,” I said. “You have moved your focus on Jesus one foot down, from your head to your heart.” He laughed. “That’s the difference between being religious and being relational.”