Staying Close to God

In the quiet of the early morning as the new day breaks, you naturally think of goals you hope to accomplish. As you become fully awake, you also run through all the problems you might encounter. You ponder these potential issues and try to find solutions so you will be ready for the day…but wait! Have you remembered to ask God for His guidance in your daily concerns?

First thing every morning, you face a crucial decision—one that will dramatically affect everything that happens during the day. Will you face the day alone?—or will you remember to seek your Creator and receive His help and direction?

Will you pray to the living God?

While it is not easy, it is the most important thing to do—something you should want to do. Remembering to sincerely ask God for help with your daily concerns is the best way to start your day. If you ask, you can receive wisdom—which will provide you the ability to make better decisions—as well as God’s blessings and direct help in dealing with those concerns. These blessings will enable you to achieve success.

Take a step back and consider for a moment. Years ago, Mr. Armstrong explained to the Church an important understanding about the two special trees in the Garden of Eden. The “tree of knowledge of good and evil” represented man taking to himself the decision to determine right and wrong. By contrast, the “tree of life” symbolized man seeking God and His guidance.

While missing one day of prayer is not as serious as being cast out of Eden, it does clearly tell God which path you will take that day. Have you ever thought of it this way?

Challenges

A wonderful opportunity to develop the habit of seeking God every morning is at Ambassador Youth Camp. There you will fellowship with members and prospective members of God’s Church, as well as those seeking to become members. Surrounded by many others who are also seeking God, it is easy to help one another walk the Christian path.

However, even in such an environment, there will be challenges to overcome.

The first challenge is finding time. At camp you will be given free time in the morning that you can spend in prayer (talking to God) and Bible study (listening to Him—another crucial component of seeking His guidance). Determine to make effective use of this allotted time. Do not give in to the temptation to waste it by engaging in some other activity or sneaking in some additional sleep.

Another challenge is overcoming the natural tendency to feel embarrassed when other people know you are seeking God. When you enter a private place to pray, or if you simply kneel beside your bed, your fellow campers will know you are praying. This might cause you to be a little embarrassed at the attention you receive. However, remember you are doing the right thing. AYC should not only be a physical experience, but a spiritual one as well.

If someone happens to see you praying, it might help them realize that it is okay to do so as well. Not only will you begin your day correctly, you might also indirectly help your fellow campers do the same. Once everyone realizes that all the campers should be praying each morning, those who are slow to begin will be embarrassed. Determine not to be the last one to seek God and avoid the real embarrassment!

This year at Ambassador Youth Camp stay close to God and start each day with prayer.