Hey, so if you haven’t met him yet, I’d be honored to introduce you to a friend of mine.

Jesus

Seriously.  His name gets thrown around a lot these days, but he’s real and he died to have a chance at getting the opportunity to know you.

Romans 10:9 says: If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

It’s that simple.

So maybe you’re feeling a little awkward right now but it’s just this page, you, and God right now.  You can pray on your own or use this prayer – I don’t mind a bit.  I prayed something similar in an old musty church about 15 years ago.

God,

I need you.  I want Jesus to be Lord of my life, and I know that means that I’m asking you to call the shots in my life.  I give up trying to make things happen on my time table and in my strength.  I believe you raised Jesus from the dead and in the same way that you raised him from the dead I ask that you would raise my life from the ashes of what it’s become.

It doesn’t have to be a long prayer.  God isn’t looking for someone who can make great speeches – there are enough politicians in the world already.  He’s looking for a sincere heart.

If you prayed this prayer or something similar you’re probably wondering, “What now?”  Well, let me start off by saying that you are going to be tempted to come up with a long list of things you think you have to do to earn and keep God’s love.  Not true.

You’ve got everything right now.

Jesus used the analogy of being born again so let’s go there – think of a brand-new baby.  Let’s call him Bob.  When Baby Bob is born into a loving family, he is just as much a part of the family as anyone else in it.

B.B. doesn’t have to do anything to earn love.

As B.B. grows, he learns to crawl, then walk, then run and as he is learning, he is simultaneously growing in his relationship with his parents.  The changes are many but the love is constant – even during the teenage years when B.B. is trying his parents’ patience : )

God’s love for you is and always will be constant.  He isn’t expecting model behavior from you.

Think of that baby again.  Babies are expected to eat, poop, sleep (hopefully!), and be cute.  That translates into:

eat = reading your Bible (stop when you’re full, don’t force yourself to eat more than you can handle)

poop = digest what you’re reading by talking it over with other people who believe

sleep = resting in God (trusting that what you prayed is real and that he’s there for you)

and lastly be cute = nothing is cuter to a parent than a baby that talks and responds (prayer)

What about church?  Aren’t good little Christians supposed to go to church?

This might shock you but God isn’t going to love you anymore than he does right now if you go to church.  Should you go?  Absolutely!  Babies need play-dates where they can learn how to socialize properly with peers and have fun.  Church in a very basic sense should be a safe place for us to go and interact with other people and learn from the older kids- we will never outgrow this by the way.

Let me be the first to say,

Welcome to the family!  I am so excited that you’re here! 

Psst – check out the book of John – it’s a great place to start at getting to know Jesus a little better.