The Grace To Begin Again

December 1, 2025

James 4:8 ESV - Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Devotional One. This month's devotion is dear to me because it’s my first one, but also because it is a reminder that we have the grace to begin again.

I was praying one morning, crying to God, telling him how I didn’t like this new path. I had started a new role, and it turned my lifestyle upside down. My prayer time was cut, the gym looked different, even my time with loved ones was off. I felt off, and my intimacy with God was off. I wanted so badly to go back to what I once was and could do, especially in prayer. Condemnation and doubt began to set in. So as I was crying, as a child would do, God said to me, “draw near to me” (James 4:8).

God was inviting me to draw near to him. I was trying, but honestly, I was applying what was required in a past season to this new season. It wasn’t working. I began to surrender my desires and how I thought it should look, and went back to the basics of spending intimate time with God. (For me, this was small devotion times, reading the word and journaling about it, re-reading his promises to me, small breath prayers, asking for his help, talking to him, and starting a small fast, because that even was hard). I was so focused on it being the same, I stopped allowing God to show me the new. I had to surrender while also being open to things looking different. This devotion today is to encourage you to draw near to God while also surrendering to a new. Maybe you won’t be able to do what you once did, but God is not looking for the same; he also works in the new (Isaiah 43:18-19). I pray as you draw near, as you allow God to redirect your steps, joy will be restored, new routines will come forth, creativity will rise, and your relationship with God will evolve. God is multifaceted; don’t box him in. Let him be what you need in this season intimately. LWH