Yes, I need God in my life! God created us to live dependently on Him. But humanity has made life difficult because we try to live independently from God.
How Do I Know I Need God in My Life?
Do you feel empty? Lost? Like something is missing? Do you need love? Do you lack significance? Are you unsure of your purpose? Do you feel insecure? Do the daily struggles leave you feeling desperate? Are you tired of living life on your terms?
Yes, Christians need to evaluate their need for God too. We get so busy living the Christian life that we miss having a relationship with Him. Take the time to evaluate your need for God using the Evaluation of Desperate Dependency as a guide.
Evaluate Your Desperate Dependency
The book Desperate Dependency includes an Evaluation of Desperate Dependency based on Psalm 119 as a personal evaluation tool to assist you in determining your relationship status with God. This exercise is not designed to create a monument to your success or failure as a Christian. Rather, allow it to serve as a compass that establishes a “true north” so you may align your path to arrive at the ultimate destination of Christlikeness.
Background about Psalm 119
Warren Wiersbe notes these interesting points about Psalm 119:
- Psalm 119 is the longest psalm (176 verses).
- It is an acrostic psalm.
- Psalm 119 follows the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- In most editions of the Bible, the twenty-two sections of this psalm are headed by the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph, Beth, Gimel, etc.).
- In the Hebrew Bible, each verse in a section begins with that Hebrew letter. For example, all the verses in the “aleph” section (vv. 1–8) begin with the Hebrew letter “aleph.”
- The Jews wrote in this fashion to help them memorize the Scriptures so they could meditate on God’s Word.
- We do not know who wrote this psalm, although the writer refers to himself many times.
- The writer was suffering for his love for God’s Law (vv. 22, 50–53, 95, 98, 115), yet he had determined to obey the Word regardless of the cost.
- All but five verses of Psalm 119 mention the Word of God in one way or another.
- God is referred to in every verse.
- Each section has eight verses. The word “eight” in Hebrew literally means “abundance, more than enough”; it is the number of new beginnings. It is as though the writer is saying, “God’s Word is enough. If you have the Scriptures, that is all you need for life and godliness.” Indeed the Bible points us to Christ: He is the Living Word about whom the written Word speaks.1
The author of this psalm testifies to the paths he has taken along his course of relating to God. Therefore, this instrument may also offer guidance for your direction as you attempt to follow the way to godliness.
Prayerfully process through the Evaluation of Desperate Dependency as you take inventory of your spiritual maturity.
Are You Desperately Dependent on God?
What is your relationship status with God? Are you in a relationship with Him? The Evaluation of Desperate Dependency included in Desperate Dependency: Finding Christ Relevant to Every Area of Life helps you determine your relationship status with God. Begin your journey to determine your relationship status as you consider, “Are you desperately dependent on God?”
The Evaluation of Desperate Dependency is based on the 176 verses of Psalm 119. We have rephrased each verse to create a personalization statement to evaluate your relationship status with God. As you consider each verse, what are you noticing about your status as an individual who is desperately dependent on God?
Prayerfully consider which category authentically describes you currently and consistently. Of course, these are not hard and concrete determinations based on numbers because we are humans who are prone to error and deception that may cause us to evaluate ourselves either better or worse than God sees us. But the following continuum can offer a basic understanding of the status of your relationship with God and the direction you are heading.
Which Describes You?
Independent of God
- I am resistant to God working in my life. As a result, I want to be the captain of my own ship and determine my own direction. I am actually a very dependent person, but not dependent on God.
Searching for God
- I recognize I have a need for God in my life. I’m not doing so well at making it on my own. I am looking for solutions in my life and think God may be the answer. But I choose people, positions, and possessions to fill the God place in my life.
Desiring God
- I want to have a relationship with God, so I am attempting to satisfy that yearning. While I think I know what God wants, and I want what God wants, so I pray and ask for mercy and deliverance, but return to my sins soon after. I find myself desperate, but not desperately dependent on God. I want to be dependent, but I’m just not there. I’m set on doing it my way.
Connecting with God
- I have a union with God that offers me fellowship. But I also have trust issues that result in fear and make me wonder, “If I turn everything over, what will happen?” I still have a long way to go, but I think I am on the right track. Unfortunately, I am easily distracted from God’s purpose, but I am learning that He is faithful and continuously pulling me back to Him. I am learning to depend on Him alone.
Desperately dependent on God
- I am not perfect, but I have an unwavering trust that He is the best and only option for navigating this life. He knows what is necessary for me, so I rely on His divine enablement for my personal empowerment as I pursue my greatest goal of glorifying Him. (If you believe you fall in this category, prayerfully consider if you actually completed the exercise honestly, or if you were merely choosing what you want to be true of you.)
So What Is Your Relationship Status with God?
- So, what’s your status?
- What do you want your status to be?
- What are you going to do to be desperately dependent on God?
Ask Someone Else to Evaluate Your Relationship with God.
If you are really brave and want to know more about yourself, you might consider asking someone close to you to complete the Evaluation of Desperate Dependency with you in mind. God does place people in our lives to assist us in our growth process. But if you are resistant to another’s assessment and feedback, there is the potential that your relationship will be scarred as a result. However, if someone completes the exercise on your behalf, your relationship may be strengthened because of the authentication of their commitment to your maturity.
Do You Need God in Your Life?
Hopefully, you took the time to consider whether or not you need God in your life. Personally, I can’t imagine living one second without God in my life! I am complete because of Jesus Christ. He gives my life worth, meaning, love, significance, security, purpose, and everything I need to accomplish everything He gives me to do.
If you would like to have a personal conversation with someone to consider how Christ is relevant to your life, please feel free to Contact Us. You can also read more about how to find Christ relevant to every area of life in Desperate Dependency.
Prayer Pattern Admitting My Need of God
Lord Jesus, I have been living life on my own. I feel empty and lost. I know something is missing in my life. The more I try to control my life, the more I sin and go against Your ways.
Jesus, I choose to give the control of my life over to You. I know You want to have a relationship with me. You died to pay for my sins so that I can be in a relationship with You. Please forgive me of my sins and take control of my life.
I know I need You to show me how to live my life. I trust You to show me the way so that I can follow You for the rest of my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, and Savior.
Amen!
Excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis.
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1 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993), Ps 119:1.
