What draws me closer to Him again? That’s simple. I call it pure need. When I drift too far away it gets to me and I begin to feel rather lousy. My happiness wanes. Troubles appear that seem larger than ever and impossible to get through. I feel completely lost and sad too. All of these things are wake-up calls for me and I realize that I have drifted away from Him. He never leaves me - but it is I that unfortunately let it happen.

What helps me stay grounded in my faith? Well, it is pretty much the same thing as what I do to get close to the Lord again. I begin with what is easiest and at hand and that is prayers of thankfulness. I often begin my saying his name out loud and I pray. A simple blessing before a meal or a cup of coffee is a great beginning. Thanking Him for his faithfulness towards me, towards us, makes me aware of how awesome He is! One tiny prayer leads to another one that becomes broader and deeper.

And the prayer that I ALWAYS return to is the one that Jesus taught us when he taught us how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer. It is chocked full of everything we need. Just praying that ”His will be done” puts everything in focus. Praying for ”His kingdom (to) come” puts me completely in line with Him and not with the world. Praying for His protection from temptation and dileverance from evil is like putting on a safety jacket that only He can offer. I feel safer once I have donned it. Then praising Him becomes the most beautiful thing that I can do right then and there and this brings me joy! I pray the whole prayer, but inbetween the beginning and the end we are actually bowing down to Him with: Our Lord, you who are in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name! For Thine is the kingdom, Thine is the Power and Thine is the Glory. What do I mean with all that? I mean that ”God, everything is Yours - even I am a servant of Yours, You are the only and Most High God and I praise Your name on High! Amen.