Loving Jesus – Part 3

Loving Jesus – Part 3

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Two weeks ago, I introduced a simple tool to help us develop a closer intimate connection to love Jesus.
It’s simple – set your phone alarm to go off at random times and cause you to simply pause and focus on Jesus for a few moments and say the words, “Jesus, I Love you.”

Last week we looked at the prayer of Jesus to His Father that you and I would experience the same joining of hearts – total oneness – with the Father that Jesus had. (Jn.17: 20-26)

Text: Revelation 3:21, Ephesians 3:14-19

What I want to draw our attention to, is when God fulfills this prayer in us, it is going to take place in our: v.16 - “inner man.” v.17- in our “hearts.” v.18 –our “comprehension.” v.19 – in our “knower.” (P. Gary’s paraphrase)
Where would that be?

So the answer to this prayer, is going to take place deep inside me, with the Father doing something supernatural inside me.

Question. Think of your normal prayer life – as you turn to prayer, where is the Jesus you are praying to located?
When you think about where Jesus is, when you spend time praying to Him, where do you think of Him being at?

Are you praying to the Lord way up in heaven seated beside the Father?
Do you pray with a sense of Jesus is by your side with you in the room?

If Christ lives in our hearts, doesn’t it make sense that we would learn to commune with Him there, within us, in the very depths of our own being.

One aspect I love to understand is that Jesus is right in the middle of any problem I face.
He is keenly, supernaturally aware of any issue I have in me, in my personality, in my will problems, in my obedience issues.
He is not there to be a cop – to enforce behavior, but there to strengthen, empower, equip …. to do all that I want to do in Him.

Re 3:20
I love the mental imagery different people have tried to paint with Jesus standing knocking on the door of my heart.
What I want to point out is this this is the heart of a believer, not an unbeliever.

This implies, I can know Jesus for salvation, and yet be denying Him access to various places in my heart.

Notice this is a request, an invitation not a demand.
What is the invitation of this verse? “I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

This is not a drive-in, fast-food thing, but a sit-down meal.
The invitation is to spend quality time as friends, enjoy one another’s company.

I want to influence us to exercise a way of praying that turns my attention to Jesus who dwells in our hearts.
When I pray, I focus my attention to Him, inside my being.

To Gary, this is much more intimate than addressing God from a distance in the courts of the Heavenlies.
For me, this has made prayer not just a time to fix things – not just a time to tell God what I want Him to do.

For me, the practice of focusing my prayer inward gives me a fresh sense of His being involved in all aspects of me.
My thought process, my reasoning, my doubts, my frustrations, the anger I experience, my hurt, my disappointments, my questions, …..

As I pause to say the words, “I Love You,” my goal is to simply “Love Jesus.”

Pray This:

Holy Spirit, we ask you to help us, help me to tune my attention, my heart to the presence of Jesus withing me.

I ask we will come to a revelation of Your indwelling, Your desire for closeness to be intertwined with my soul and spirit.
I pray we will come to a revelation of Your presence living inside our hearts.