Now Yahweh's word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. Jonah 1:3 WEB.

It was late one Saturday afternoon when a friend stopped by and invited me to church with him the following morning. I politely declined because the thought of getting dressed up in a suit and pretending to be someone else one day a week did not appeal to me. Besides, I knew some of the people there, and during the week, they often behaved worse than me. Even the friend that invited me had probably smoked a joint on the way to my house.

Like Jonah, I ran from God and evaded Him for years, or so I thought. In time, He caught up with me. One night while playing music at a party, I met the Lord, and suddenly, my whole life changed. My friends no longer knew me. Suddenly I wanted to know everything there was about God. My old interests and friends soon faded away, for they scattered like roaches when a light is turned on, and that light was Jesus.

Over time I learned that you don't have to wear fancy clothes or pretend to be someone else to please God, for that is only a man-made tradition. We should always be ourselves, seven days a week, and not have to put on "The Church Face" to come into His presence. Work clothes are just fine.

It is not just a Sunday thing, but more of a Monday through Friday thing. God so loved us that He gave His only Son to save us, just as we are. When you fall, get up and take another step. God is not mad at you, and He will immediately accept you when you turn to Him. Sure, you should live a life that demonstrates faith in God, but you don't start out perfect. You won't even end that way, but you will get better over time.

Begin to involve Him in everything you do. When you need help at work, stop, and pray about it. Most of my testimonies are what God has done for me during work hours. Know that God seeks a personal relationship with you during the week, as much as while you are at church.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for accepting me just as I am. I want to serve You, Lord, with all my heart. Please draw my heart to You. Consume me with Your love and deliver me from the things that hinder me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Group of the Day: Laughter, God's Medicine - They say that laughter is the best medicine, so let's give that a try :)! This group is for sharing humor and joy to uplift each other in laughter. To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.