Is God Your Favorite Episode? Drawing Near to Him (James 4:8)
Do you have an appointment with God, or do you only call on Him when it’s convenient? Is your prayer life unscheduled, your scripture reading sporadic? You reach out to God when you’re in need, but have you noticed He’s been calling you all along, while you remain too busy for Him? And yet, we spend endless hours flipping through social media, all the while rejecting any opportunity to meet with God. How can you expect Him to meet your needs when you constantly reject His call?
God desires our hearts. He wants us to have regular, consistent meetings with Him. He values those set times, placing them on His divine calendar, prepared to meet us when we show up. In those moments, He’s ready to respond to the prayers from our previous meetings. Think about how you prioritize your favorite TV show, sports match, or series—how you adjust your schedule just to make sure you don’t miss it, finding excuses to skip Sunday services while you never fall sick when those episodes are on air. I remember when I watched Joana la Virgen—it was a show I never wanted to miss. My heart was so glued to it that I would rush home from wherever I was just to catch every episode, or even find a place with electricity if there was a power outage. Today, I do the same with Chelsea’s EPL matches—I don’t want to miss a single one. What are you so addicted to that you can’t bear missing it, even going back to watch the replay? Let’s be honest—replays aren’t as thrilling because we already know the outcome.
This is the level of devotion God desires from us—the same energy and dedication we give to our favorite shows or activities. He wants us to schedule regular meetings with Him, setting aside specific times for prayer and devotion. In those moments, the Holy Spirit reviews the “minutes” of your last meeting, and Jesus executes the action plans on God’s behalf. They come prepared with revelations, blessings, and answers just for you. But if your meetings with God are inconsistent and haphazard—showing up one day and missing the next—then God may also respond to your needs sporadically, as if He, too, is working without an appointment.
God expects us to love Him with all our hearts, as Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” When we give Him our full devotion, He draws nearer to us.
If your prayers are “as and when,” God will meet you “as and when.”
If your scripture reading is “as and when,” He’ll respond “as and when.”
Why can’t Christians have consistent, scheduled devotion like our Muslim brothers and sisters? Why do we only pray when we’re desperate, instead of making it a daily priority, like our favorite TV shows? Shouldn’t our time with God be like that telenovela we never want to miss? Even if we miss an episode, we rush to watch the replay before the next one. We avoid distractions when we’re glued to a football match; how frustrated we get when we miss a crucial moment and the replay isn’t shown! Just like how you call your boyfriend/girlfriend first thing in the morning or want to hear his/her voice before bed, God desires that kind of intentionality and devotion.
As James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” When we approach God with faithfulness and consistency, He responds with the same faithfulness, revealing His heart and fulfilling our needs.
Prayer:
Lord, help me prioritize time with You as eagerly as I do my favorite activities. Draw me closer and make our meetings a daily joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
What is the Holy Spirit Saying to the United States of America?
Long before Jesus Christ resurrected Lazarus from the dead after four days, Jesus was already a friend of Lazarus, and nothing could take away that bond. This is the same kind of relationship between the Lord and America. America's death, decay, chaos, and confusion cannot sever the realm of friendship between her and Jesus. Your friendship remains!
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
The relationship between America and the Lord is very special; not many are called friends of Jesus. Friends have benefits and special favors, you know. A covenant in friendship is different from other kinds of relationships. Take, for example, David and Jonathan in the Old Testament.
America will indulge in the benefits of her friendship with Yeshua! This is not a fleeting friendship; it has been there for a long, long time. Jesus holds on to these kinds of relationships.
I strongly sense that the Lord will wipe away the shame from America—its culture, its people, and the Church of America. Shame is on Jesus' table now; it is His priority! I can't be a friend to someone and bring shame to them—I refuse that. I aim to glorify my friends, the dear ones. Yeshua is the Glory and the Lifter of America's head!
As the USA turns back to Jesus, glory will begin to be restored to her. Like Nebuchadnezzar, who was gloriously restored after years of shame and being dethroned, the Word of God says that Nebuchadnezzar's latter days were greater than the former, and God moved mightily after He restored him because he looked up and acknowledged the God of Heaven. (See Daniel 4:34-37)
Will you look up again, America, to Jesus? Your greatness in servanthood began on the Rock of Ages, and God wants to restore that. I see a great fiery move of the Holy Spirit among the young people in America, and this move is beyond anything compared to Azusa and beyond.
Glory to every sector, area, and system in America, God's friend!
God bless you,
Tony Francis
Feel free to pray for America in the comments below and share your prophetic revelations!