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.
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Tony Francis is from the Middle East. He is grounded in the scriptures and has a licensed degree in biblical studies from MTI, the school of ministry, and a certificate in EPL (effective personal leadership) from LMI. He has authored many books and is the founder of Healed Nations Ministries (www.healednations.com). Tony mentors people in the prophetic and served as the prophetic leader of Patricia King's ministries. Tony is studying to be a mental health coach.
www.healednations.com
Thank you