I love the ocean. Recently, our family visited the Pacific coast. Powerful waves rolled in, chasing us up the shore. Saltiness scented the air. The blueness of sky and sea stretched on and on, north to south, and beyond the western horizon. Experiencing the ocean woos me to God.
Our flower garden woos me to God. All I have to do is gaze through the window while I work, and I’m wooed. All those colors. And if I go out there, the fragrances and beauty surround me.
That’s why I love God’s presence. Powerfully He presses His glory on us, breathing His wind over us. He heals. He saves. He delights to redeem situations and people. His presence refreshes.
And though I can experience Him at the ocean or in the garden, it’s not a given. I have to be open to His presence while visiting those places. Now, in a church where folks are praying and as a congregation they’re open to God, you can be immersed in His goodness without much effort. Dive in after the others have begun hosting Him.
I think that’s why it’s challenging to experience powerful prayer on our own. In a group, it’s the combined confidence and faith that encourages our faith. But alone, we’re sometimes more skittish, like a lamb. Unsure. Unstable. Unaware of just how much God wants to overwhelm us with His presence, His goodness, His glory. All we have to do is say “yes.”
I want to remain woo-able. All my life. Every day. So God can use the simple moments to remind me of His presence, His love. So the awe of beauty can chase me back to God, Who created it. So the fragrance of jasmine and roses can cause me to lean on His chest, give in again and again to His love.
Are you open to Him? Are you woo-able? If not, but you want to be, take steps in His direction. Tell Him you want more of Him. Then, give Him opportunities to woo you. Visit a place that blesses you (like the ocean or gardens bless me). Pray there. Open up to Him there. And know this: He’s already wooing you. Remember this promise:
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8a NKJV)
Thanks for this beautiful post, Net. I love woo-able. God's glorious creation is an amazing place to meet him. It reminds me of the many Psalms in which the psalmist sings of the beauty of God shown in the stars, the mountains, the seas. Thanks for the reminder to seek Him in those places.
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