Getting closer to Jesus

Getting closer to Jesus

(Drawing nigh to God)

David Wilkerson

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Ephesians 3:12

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. …

James 4:8

I pray that every day.

But, recently, the Holy Spirit was urging me to press in that

I would walk up and down and in my prayer room say,

“Oh God, draw nearer to me than You’ve ever drawn.

I want to know You more than I have ever known You before.”

There was such a hunger and reaching out.

“God, what does it take to get closer to You?

What’s the cost? Let me know.

I want more than anything else to seek You.

I want You to draw nearer to me than You’ve ever been before.

I’ve talked about knowing You, but I really don’t know You like I want to.

Lord, I want to get closer to You.”

Because if you really are walking in the Holy Spirit, that’s His work

He’s gonna keep drawing you.

He keep urging you to get deeper in the Lord, get closer to Him, more intimate.

That’ll be until Jesus come.

You will never be satisfied in that direction because it’s always upward and onward into the depth of Christ until finally you want to swim in.

And I said, “Lord, tell me what I have to do.”

And I begin to plead with the Lord, “Show me.”

You say, “It’s a more prayer, more intense prayer, more time alone with God, get into His word more.”

Yes, that’s all the part of it.

But, that didn’t answer.

I’ve done all of that.

And I know I’m not as close as I want to be.

The Lord answered me with a question.

“Why do you want to draw near Me?

What’s your motive?

Why do you want Me to come near you?

What’s your motive?”

Because God’s interested in motives.

My first thought was

“Lord, that ought to be obvious.

I want to draw near to You because that’s what Christians do.”

The Lord said,

“Why? I know your heart, your motive. You want more of Me.

But do you really know what your motive is?”

One of the most settled motives of all is competitive holiness

competitive holiness.

Let me tell you what that’s all about

We should all be holy.

We should all desire to be more holy.

We should pray about being more holy.

But I’m talking about competitive holiness.

It’s something like this.

It’s a settled desire to be a little bit holier than the most holy person you know in your circle.

Now I’m not talking about this evil desire to be holier than them like Pharisees had.

These are sincere people like you and me.

We want to get close to God.

There’s a genuine Holy Ghost hunger in us to get closer and closer to the Lord.

This is a righteous person who’s convinced that some brother or sister has passed them by in holiness.

Nothing is said out right.

You dare not even think it.

But it’s so settled.

It’s down deep inside.

This is just a slight peep at God.

A little grieving and say something like this

“I’ve sought Your face diligently.

I have prayed with faith.

I’ve been faithful.

I’ve lived victoriously.

I’m obedient at Your word.

I have no other desire in the world but to get to know You better. I’ve drawn near to You. So why doesn’t anybody think of me as holy?

Why does everybody look a sister so and so?

All they say is ‘She is so close to Jesus.’

Lord, all of my praying, all my seeking Your face,

why didn’t anybody even consider me holy or righteous?

I’m just an ordinary person.

Everybody tell me about brother so and so ‘While you are around him you feel God.’

They are so righteous.

I’m running as fast as I can to meet You.

I’m doing everything right. And nobody knows anything about my righteousness.”

We don’t say it.

We don’t even want to think it.

But it’s down inside.

“What’s wrong with me?

Why do You bypass me, Lord?

I want to be holy.”

“Why?”

“I want to draw closer to Jesus.”

“Why? What’s your motive?”

See, you can look at the holiest person you know and know nothing about them.

You don’t know their battles.

You don’t know their struggles.

I’ve been associated with some of the most holy men.

They died, went into eternity with honor and the joy of the Lord holy before, righteous before the Lord.

But every time I have measured myself by another man or a woman that appeared to be so holy I have been utterly disappointed instead of just thanking God that He made me different.

He made you different.

He loves you just the way you are God made you.

You have your place.

Folks, get your eyes off people.

You can’t go into the presence of God trying to ask God to make you holy so that you can rise above somebody else.

There’s something there it says,

“I don’t want anybody to pass me.

I don’t want anybody praying more than I can pray.

I don’t want anybody to believe more than I can believe.

I want to be as righteous as any man by faith.”

That sounds righteous.

But if our motives are unright it can be the worst kind of thinking pride in the face of God.

No, forget everybody else.

Let them go their way.

You spend your own time.

I’m going to the Lord, just to worship Him.

I want to get to know Him.

He will give me the measure of knowledge He’s good for me.

He knows how much I can stand.

He has a place for me.

I’m not in competition with anybody.

I’m gonna tell you.

If you really get the touch of God and sight of God.

He will make you more natural than you’ve ever been before.

Glory to God.

God wants to take all the sweat out of this thing.

He wants to take all the burden out of seeking Him.

I just love Jesus.

I go to Him because I love Him with all of my heart.