how to meet Jesus

If you have read ‘true stories’ you will have seen that ordinary people, just like you and me, can meet God and experience his love in our lives.

How does this happen? How does it work?

God created each one of us and loves us more than we can imagine. He has always wanted us to know that love but we choose to ignore him or push him away. We want to live our lives our way. We rebel against him and that has made a barrier that cuts us off from God. This barrier is called sin. It stops us from feeling God’s love and creates an emptiness inside.

People try to fill the emptiness with all kinds of things – religion, money, success, relationships, doing good, drink and drugs, food, sex, adventure, holidays, the occult – the list is endless. Nothing really satisfies for long because God made us to be full of his love.

We can’t break down the barrier by ourselves but God still loves us in spite of the mess we make of our lives and all the ways we go wrong.

Jesus, God himself, came to earth to show God’s love by dying on the cross. His death was dreadful because he took all the awful things we’ve done and paid the penalty for them. Then he rose again from death. He wants us to know God’s love and to give us the power to live our lives right. You can meet God today through Jesus.

How can you do that?

Admit your faults and failings to Father God and ask him to forgive you. Tell him you want to change and to come back into his family.

Thank Jesus for dying to pay for all that is wrong in your life. Ask him to come into your life in a real way. Trust your future to him and follow his lead.
As you ask Jesus to rule in your life, he will come by his holy spirit to fill you with God’s love and make you able to live the kind of life that pleases God.

You may like to use this prayer to talk to God.

Father God – thank you that you love me and want me
to be a part of your family.
I’m coming to you now just as I am.

I know I’m not perfect.
There are many things I’ve done that I’m ashamed of
and things I should have done but I haven’t.
Please forgive me and help me to change.
I’ve tried living my way but now I want to live your way.

Jesus I believe in you.
Thank you for dying for me and paying for all my wrongs.
I give you all my guilt and failures.
Thank you for forgiving me.
I trust you now with all I have and all I am.

Be my lord, my king and my saviour.
Fill me with your spirit, your holy power.
Make me into what I should be.
I want to follow you for the rest of my life.

If you have prayed this prayer from your heart then God has given you a new life. Like any new life it needs to be cared for.

You may like to join a course for new Christians such as Alpha. Go to www.uk.alphacourse.org to see if there is a course near you – www.alphacourse.org outside the U.K.
Email us for further help or if you would like some booklets to help you. enquiries@wales4jesus.org.uk.