{ Day 248 }

The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. —Psalm 116:5-7

It was the Lord’s idea to be gracious to us, not our own. He longs to be gracious far more than we long for Him to be. But that grace must establish His relationship with us, not undermine it. Therefore He will not release it in fullness until He hears the great cry of His people, signifying our readiness. Though He will release a certain administration of grace no matter what, He’s looking forward to giving more than that introductory dimension of the kingdom of God. He convinces us of what is in His heart as we cry out to Him day after day. We do not earn anything by crying out. We cannot sing or shout and earn power. Rather, the Lord’s plan is that when we lift our voices to Him, our hearts become receptive and connected to Him. When that happens, we enter a realm where God’s blessing and grace actually establish and enhance intimacy with God instead of diminishing it. The process of prayer has surprised, tenderized, and drawn us into intimacy with Him.

{ PRAYER STARTER }

Lord, my heart cries out with a desire to experience the fullness of Your glory. Let me abide with You in the spiritual realm of blessing and grace and experience a deeper relationship with You.

The Lord longs to be gracious to us, but He
won’t be when it threatens to
alienate us from Him.