Build your foundation {Day 4} Ministry Online: Heart Matters

We have been talking about the heart matters of online ministry. We’ve already discussed purpose. Today we are going to talk about the foundation.

The foundation of all things — including our blogs — should be our relationship with God, the Father. Our relationship with God is more important than any other relationship we could try to maintain or establish. Blog friends, followers, Twitter buddies, and those who comment cannot do for you what your heavenly Father can. You must take the time to refill and replenish your spirit. You can’t pour out what you don’t contain.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:22?23

Do you know Him? I mean, do you really know Him? We should develop a relationship with Him the same as we would develop a relationship with anyone else: make an effort. I don’t know about you but when I first met Ryan I wanted to know every thing about him. I sought out information about him. I spent time with him. I asked him questions, I listened to the answers and then intentionally stored them away in my memory. I looked for every opportunity to know him better. The same could be said of anyone we desire to know better. We make a conscience effort to do things that will get us closer to them. We must become closer to God. How do we do that?

We get to know Him by reading His word. It is like His journal. It contains the events of all that He has done and it expresses His heart to us. No matter what anyone says you must make a conscience effort to absorb God’s scripture everyday. Any speaker, writer, friend, or foe who says otherwise is sadly mistaken. With the technology available today their is no reason why we shouldn’t have that time with Him. There are bibles on CD, DVD, mp3, online, and of course, in print. There is nothing wrong with listening to the bible audibly. Long before the bible was in print it was expressed audibly and from person to person.

Before Matthias was born I had no problem with sitting down each morning to read, however, on days when he is keeping me really busy I choose to play The Visual Bible DVDs. I love it. There are just some days that I am unable to sit down and read to soak up scripture and these DVDs are a great solution for me. It is word for word what is in the bible and it is a very good resource to have. There is something about the word of God being spoken out loud that completely changes the aura of a home.  

We also get to know Him through worship. Worship allows us to go deeper in fellowship with Him. It is a truly intimate experience. It is likened to those mushy talks you have with your spouse, family, or friends. When you completely expose your heart to someone a whole new level of trust and intimacy develops. You become closer and form a tighter bond. That is what worship does for our relationship with God. Put on some music and praise Him while you are doing dishes. Worship while you drive. Sing to Him in the shower. He desires that from us. Just watch how He responds to you!

Prayer is another key component to developing a relationship with God. I can hear you now… “But I don’t have time to spend an hour a day in prayer. I barely have two minutes to go to the restroom!” I know! I know! Let me tell you something. You do not have to spend an hour in prayer. Nope. You sure don’t. Your life is a dialogue with Him. He hears your every thought, spoken word, and action. He understands your every sigh and cry. What makes the difference is that you acknowledge Him during those times. On the other hand, there are some who are called to intercede. If God calls you to do that then He will equip you. Prayer is defined by Webster’s as: to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving. We know that these four parts of prayer come from the example the Lord gave in Luke 11:2?4. Jesus gave us these words as a guide. We can learn how simple they are to use by reading throughout the bible. According to the scripture there are many different types of prayer. It was not distinctly defined as setting time aside, entering into meditation, intercession, tongues and/or crying out intensely and petitioning God. These are all forms of prayer with Him but there is one that is so often overlooked, the one God desires most, the one most often written about in His Word. It is simply this… to always be aware of and acknowledge His presence. It is walking with Him as we would our husband, sister, or friend.

“Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him” Hosea 6:3

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32

When I wake up in the morning, before I even brush my teeth, I say good morning to Him. When I see a beautiful landscape while driving I make sure I praise Him for it. When I need to make a decision I ask Him to help me. When I realize I need money for a bill I ask Him to supply it and then thank Him for it. When I realize I messed up, I immediately ask for His forgiveness. I ask Him to keep me away from tempting situations, to grant us safe trips, to keep Satan and his cohorts away and when I am studying His Word I ask Him to explain to me what I don’t yet understand. I do set aside times for other forms of prayer but I don’t need to do it as often as I had previously because now I realize that I am truly always in prayer with Him. I have had people look at me funny because I’ve stopped in the middle of a conversation with them to say, “Alright God. I get it!” Or in the midst of waiting for my turn to vote one day I said, “God help me out here because I am not sure about a couple of these.” That was a form of praying. See, I acknowledge and talk to Him whenever I desire to. I don’t have to be in a specific place and I don’t bother myself with what others think because I am talking to my Father, my friend. He always answers with revelation, a touch, joy, peace or an overwhelming sense of His love for me.

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them.” Malachi 3:16

Even when we talk to our friends, God hears. Why? He is always there beside us. He is your best friend. The two of you are inseparable. He is just waiting for you to realize it. Walk with Him the way Adam, David, Noah, Jesus and Paul did. This form of prayer allows us to succeed at what we once thought to be impossible:

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

We can’t overlook His importance in our day to day lives or our “little space on the web”. He is in all things and should be the foundation of all things.

You can view all of my 31 Days to Online Ministry posts here: 31 Days to Online Minstry Heart Matters and be sure to visit the other participants at: A Woman Inspired (new site is LIVE! Let me know what you think!) or…

• AMH Team – 31 Days of Prayer: A Martha Heart
• Karin – 31 Days of Intentional Parenting: Mommy Matters Blog
• Jen – 31 Days of Social Media: 867-5309 Blog
• Lisa Boyd – 31 Days of WordPress: Lisa Boyd’s Blog
• Karen Lewis – 31 Days of Praise: Simply Amusing Blog
• Dawn – 31 Days of Encouragement: My Home Sweet Home Online

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