“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (Jas 4:8)
In all true love, we seek to be close to the person we love. God, for His part, constantly fills us with His presence and nearness; He seeks man and wants to be with him. But it is also necessary for man to seek God’s nearness, to open his heart to Him, and to long to be with Him. Then he will increasingly perceive the closeness of his beloved Father, who can reveal Himself to an open heart.
Undoubtedly, the exhortation of the Apostle James refers above all to prayer, which, as the eminent expression of the encounter with God, should occupy a primary place in the life of every person. However, it goes further, since everything we do should be under God’s loving dominion. An essential element in seeking closeness to God is to lift our gaze again and again to the Father, so that we carry out all our daily activities in harmony with Him. In this way, we begin to live consciously under His loving gaze. Imagine a small child who does everything while looking at his parents. That gaze is what gives him joy and meaning in everything he does.
Another essential element is the inner dialogue with God. He has so many things to say to us, if only He can find a soul willing to listen to Him. It is a dialogue that should never be interrupted and that can be resumed and continued again and again if it has been interrupted. It is also important to remember and meditate afterward on what has been discussed with the Lord.
Often, it is simply a matter of remaining silent before God and taking the time to be close to Him. It is the certainty: “You are here, beloved Father, and I am here too!”
That is enough.