...how come I don't feel like this when I'm praying at school or at church?
A: In the Old Testament, people believed that the only way true way to worship God was in the Temple. It was a literal structure in which people traveled far ways to get to. The belief was that God resided in the Temple and worshiping meant that you physically had to be in the building.
In the Gospel of Luke, during the recount of Jesus' death and crucifixion, Luke adds an interesting observation. 23:45-46 says this, "for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last."
The metaphor of this is to show you that the Temple was once a building. And when Christ came, He was the living Temple. And now that He has died for all mankind, the curtain that "hid" the spirit in the Temple was now torn...and no longer is God contained in one place, but He has sacrificed Himself for all. Making it possible for people to worship outside of the traditional Temple.
God is not only present in the church building or at your [Christian] school...He is everywhere. Therefore, please do not think that you can only speak to Him during the services or Chapel times. In those "assigned Christian times", it's easy to get into the groove of spiritual things; everybody is praying, everybody is worshiping, everybody is doing "Christian-y" things. But it's in the privacy of your own home that we feel hard to keep with those disciples.
May I encourage you to keep at it and with discipline and perseverance, continue to seek after God. We often feel like we are talking to no one because we don't hear anything back, but let me ask you this: how often do you sit around in silence waiting for God to respond? Try speaking to Him, and then spending some time in silence listening for Him. Trust me...He's there.
Other practical suggestions for doing devotions and spending time with God are reading the Bible. Instead of blowing through a Book at a time...pick a couple of verses and read it over and over again throughout your devotion time. Re-reading helps you pick up things that you missed the first time you read it.
Also, what about musical worship? Put a cd on...listen to the words. Sing a worship song as a prayer to God. All these ways are different ways that we can find our connection with God.
I'd like to leave you with this verse as an encouragement, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:4-7
[answered by Pastor KJT]
