She believes in God but not in a personal way.

She believes in God but not in a personal way.

I recently shared with a brilliant young lady who is going places in life. She obeys the law, is climbing in her career and has great prospects. She was exposed to faith training as a girl but has since adopted a different views. She told me that she believes in God but not feel that God is personal.

I told her that she will change that view when life sends her scrambling for the God of her youth for nurture, strength, protection and guidance.

In my 41 years of ministry I have encountered many who share this belief. They believe in an all powerful creator of the universe, but their belief stops there. They feel no need for worship, fellowship with other believers or study of His word. They especially reject any formalities or limitations that may be associated with anything beyond a simple belief in a divine creator.

They believe in God. That's enough for them.

That works fine until we need God to respond to our life situation but our lack of faith keeps Him at a distance.

I believe that God is a person and is personal. As such, God loves: creates, destroys, angers, cares, rewards and punishes, saves, forgives and blesses. Since God is personal, we each have our own unique ID through which he identifies with us, hears us, guides us, correct us and opens doors for us.

Only those who believe in a personal God pray, otherwise prayer is a useless exercise because God does not take calls from mere mortals unless He's personal.

The trick in life is to allow God to be personal with us. In our thoughts we commune with Him and share our aspirations. In return He shares with us through inspiration, spiritual epiphanies, and teachable moments. When we pray we invite God into our business. Once invited God encourages, strengthens, inspires and renews. He also troubles us when we break or bend His rules; He works on our conscience.

It is the personal God who answers our prayers, lifts us when we we down, and gives us that second or third chance to get it right when we have failed.

Believing in God is the first step of faith. The second is to open the door of your heart and invite Him in. He knocks and waits for the invitation.

Revelation 3:20 "I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit down to supper with you."

When call on Him, we open the door and let Him in. That's when our lives change for the better.

Those who know Him personally begin to live fully functional, happy, blessed lives that meet life's challenge with the confidence that the God they believe in knows them personally and will hear their prayers and direct their paths.