Virtually every religion in the world incorporates the discipline of prayer into their spiritual practices, so some might ask what makes our prayers so special. Deuteronomy 4:7 (NIV) has the answer. It says,

"What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?"

As Christians, our prayers are not to a wooden statue or to a dead prophet - they are spoken to a living God who has sent His very Spirit to indwell us. While that may feel too close for comfort sometimes, it's certainly "comforting" to know that He is near.

You see, our God invites us into His inner circle so that we might know Him intimately and passionately. He invites us to draw near, and the assurance we receive in return is that He will return the favor.

James 4:8 (KJV) sums it up, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."

So take some time to draw near today. His arms are open, and He's waiting for you.

Making It Personal:

• Deut. 4:7 is spoken by Moses as he teaches the children of Israel about the God they serve. He is equipping them to go and inherit their promised land. What promises are you waiting to claim in your life? Have you earnestly sought God's help in reaching/claiming your promised land?
• Think back to the last time you felt God draw near to you during a prayer time. What do you think was special/unique about that prayer time?
• What steps can you take in your prayer life today to draw near to God?