Closer

“Closer” has been the soundtrack of my life lately. I think it’s because I’ve found myself in a season of need. Things have not gone according to plan, and time with Jesus has not come easily. I have missed the thirst-quenching, lung-filling satisfaction of drawing near to God and of Him, in turn, drawing near to me. This song has become my prayer and reminder day-by-day to return to the Fount of Living Water and be filled.

So, for the next few moments, I’d like to pray through these lyrics with you and ask God, again, to bring us closer to Him.

God in Heaven, we ask today…

Like the rushing wind, would you breathe within my heart?

Our very life and breath come from You. Unless You sustain them by Your sovereign hand, our hearts do not beat. Unless You fill them, our lungs are empty. And unless You love us first, we do not know how to love You. So we ask You to breathe new life into us—both our physical bodies and our souls, which belong wholly to You.

Through the wind and rain, I can hear You call my name. 

When the nights get rough, I will still sing out Your praise. 

We know that You are the God who is present in the storm. We are not abandoned; we are embraced. Even when we don’t see You, feel You, or recognize the work of Your hands, we trust that You are guarding us in Your sovereign goodness. This world is fallen, but You have not left it to rot. You have chosen to save; You have overcome darkness with light. So we will praise You before you give us answers; we will sing for joy before the clouds have lifted; we will lean on You before we are able to feel Your nearness. In faith, we will look to You in the midst of our circumstances.

I need Your love like I need water; I need Your love like I need breath inside my lungs.

There is no source but You. There is not a person, an experience, or a fulfilled desire that can replace anything You do for us. Water and oxygen are not optional to the human body, and neither are You to the human heart. Forgive us, God, for the many times we have remembered to eat, drink, and breathe, but have neglected to abide. We know we are forgiven when we fall short, but we also feel parched when we have been far from You. So we need You, Lord, to bring us closer. Lead us by still waters and remind us, again, of who You are. 

Come and take me over; Jesus, draw me closer to Your heart.

Closer than my every breath; closer than my every step; closer than the song I sing; closer than anything.

We are longing to be near You God. Even when our hearts are apathetic we know You have written eternity on our hearts and our every desire, at its center, is an echo of our yearning for Heaven—for Jesus. As the saints have sung before us, we see that we are prone to wander. We are bent to seek created things over their Creator. But we know, too, that You are prone to seek out. You are bent to pursue the one who has gone off the beaten path. You are the father that waits on the front porch for Your wayward child to return home and pulls us in the very moment we ask to be near You again. 

So we are asking. Draw us into Your heart. Satisfy us in the morning by Your love and Your nearness.

We pray these things in the name of He who chose to come close at all costs, Jesus Christ,

Amen.