"And wherever He went - into villages, towns or countryside - they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged Him to let them touch even the edge of His cloak, and all who touched Him were healed." - Mark 6:56 NIV

These words are some of the most comforting in all of Scripture for me. Countless times, I have needed healing for my body, my mind, or my emotions, and have desperately wanted to reach out and touch the Lord, and be touched by Him, and these words have reassured me that this is a real possibility. We know that it is our faith that enables us to reach out and touch God. But what are some practical ways that we can exercise and release our faith for this very purpose?

We can touch God through our prayers. Jesus said that when we join our prayers with others, we can know that He is in our midst. (Matthew 18:19-20) But we must not think that we can't be totally alone with God to reach out to Him. The Savior also said, "But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." (Matthew 6:6 NLT) God's rewards can include healing, protection, or provision - as well as wisdom, joy, and peace. Our God is not a distant God. When Jesus said that He would always be with His followers, He meant it. I like the way the Amplified Bible brings out the true meaning of the Lord's heartfelt statement: "Behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be)." (Matthew 28:20 AMP) You and I have the privilege of calling on God every moment of every day, and that is a privilege that we should constantly take advantage of, as we live our lives in an often cold and hostile world.

We can also touch God through our praise, thanksgiving, and worship. Psalm 22:3 (KJV) says that God inhabits the praises of His people. That means that the Lord has a way of showing up and showing off in our situation when we are inclined to resist grumbling and complaining, and we instead lift our hearts in praise to Him. Psalm 89:15 (NLT) says: "Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of Your presence, Lord." When God reveals Himself to us, and in our circumstance, light comes on the scene, and darkness has to flee. Satan and his evil forces cannot stand against the presence and power of God. Psalm 8:2 (AMP) reassures us that our praises have the ability to "silence the enemy and the avenger". So we can think of praise and worship as effective spiritual warfare.

Another way we can touch God is by believing and obeying the Word of God. Many years ago, when I was desperate to have the Lord reveal Himself to me in life-changing ways, He told me, "You will find Me in My Word." That's when I began diligently reading and studying the Scriptures. As I applied their principles to every area of my life, and claimed the promises therein, God began making Himself real to me more and more. One promise that I claimed often was John 14:21 (AMP): "The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]" Think of it: The Son of God Himself will allow us to see Him clearly when we believe, love, and obey Him.

If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, then you have the power to touch God, and to be touched by Him. What are you waiting for?

Prayer: Lord, I am so grateful that You have made a way for me to have an intensely personal and vibrant relationship with You. Teach Me how to use every resource that You have made available to me, so that I can be as close to You as You want me to be. Don't ever let me be satisfied with having a shallow or superficial relationship with You. Thank You for helping me to know You, love You, and serve You the way You desire and deserve!