Come Close to God with Bishop David Ray

Devotional

Day 1: The Holy Spirit Closer Than Breath

The Holy Spirit’s presence isn’t confined to physical senses or fleeting emotions. He dwells within every believer—young or old, joyful or weary—as near as the air in their lungs. His closeness remains constant, unshaken by life’s highs or lows. When distractions clamor for attention, His quiet assurance whispers, Everything’s gonna be okay. This truth anchors believers, not in circumstances, but in the reality of a God who inhabits their very being. [01:25]

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: When did you last pause to recognize the Holy Spirit’s nearness in your body, your breath, your quietest moment? How might today shift if you leaned into His constant presence?

Day 2: Activating the Overflow Within

The Holy Spirit isn’t a passive resident but a dynamic force waiting to be stirred. Like a wellspring, His power overflows when believers choose prayer over panic, intimacy over distraction. Too often, people run to phones or friends before kneeling in dependence. Yet the answer to every trouble lies in activating the Spirit’s overflow through simple, persistent prayer. [05:56]

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.”
(Acts 2:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: What problem have you been handing to others instead of first bringing it to the Holy Spirit? What one step could you take today to “activate the overflow” in that area?

Day 3: Daily Cleansing for a Cluttered Heart

Pride grows when repentance stops. Just as daily meals require daily dishes, daily living demands daily heart-cleansing. Sin clings like dust—in careless words, hidden thoughts, or midnight murmurs. Praying Forgive me, purify me isn’t a sign of failure but an invitation for the Spirit to scrub away what dulls intimacy with God. [12:49]

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.”
(Psalm 51:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: What “dust” have you ignored in your heart this week? How might confessing it now free you to feel God’s closeness afresh?

Day 4: When People Check Out, God Stays In

Human relationships falter—friends hide, loved ones disappoint, strangers provoke. Yet the Holy Spirit never ducks behind counters or switches lanes to avoid His people. His loyalty outlasts every betrayal. Loneliness flees when believers grasp that God’s nearness isn’t based on their performance but His promise. [08:34]

“For he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”
(Hebrews 13:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: Who’s “checked out” on you recently? How might focusing on God’s unwavering presence heal that hurt today?

Day 5: United in the Spirit, Divided No More

Double-mindedness drains spiritual power. Chasing worldly solutions while claiming faith breeds confusion. The Holy Spirit demands wholeheartedness—no sidelong glances at alternatives. Unity with Him means rejecting divided loyalties, trusting His completeness even when culture offers quick fixes. [19:20]

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
(James 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been flirting with “plan B” solutions instead of relying fully on the Spirit? What would surrender look like in that area today?

Sermon Summary

James 4:8 brings an awe just saying it: “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” God lets the saved soul come close because Jesus has forgiven sin and come into the life of the believer. The Holy Spirit came in, and with the Holy Spirit living within, the believer is close to God right now. The Holy Spirit is closer than the people that can be seen, heard, or touched. The Holy Spirit lives in the youth that have been saved and baptized, and the Holy Spirit lives in the oldest adore in the tabernacle.

The presence of the Holy Spirit does not change with a high feeling, a low feeling, disappointment, excitement, or trouble in the mind. The Holy Spirit is close right now, and when the Holy Spirit is given opportunity, the Holy Spirit lets the believer know he is there. The song, the move of God, and even the distractions before gathering all point to one word from heaven: everything is going to be okay. God may not have everything completely alright in the moment, but God is near, and because God is near, it will be alright.

Prayer activates what is already on the inside. The overflow of the Holy Spirit should be activated as soon as the problem hits, not after running to someone else first. The Holy Spirit is the closest individual to the believer, the best friend, the comforter, the helper, the one who keeps life from being lived on the old low level. God is close, and that truth gives strength to say, “I shall not fall down. I shall not crumble. I shall live.”

James also says, “Wash your hands, you sinners.” The daily cry must be, “God, forgive me of my sins. Purify my heart.” Forgiveness is not treated like a one time deal, because pride grows when the believer stops asking God to cleanse the heart. The heart needs cleaning, the thinking needs cleaning, and the mouth of somebody else may rock the believer’s world before the day is over.

The divided heart is warned against because loyalty cannot stay split between God and the world. The outward appearance may look clean and dressed up, but God looks for inward glory and purification by the Holy Spirit. The call of God is not to impress but to worship. The overflow of the Holy Spirit is still in operation today, but the believer has to draw close, stay united, and work for that closeness with God.

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Key Takeaways

1. God is close right now The nearness of God is not waiting on a better mood, a quieter room, or a cleaner week. The Holy Spirit lives within the believer, and that means God is not far off trying to be reached by religious effort. Faith learns to treat the unseen Spirit as more real and more present than the visible people standing nearby. [01:41]
2. Activate the overflow first The overflow of the Holy Spirit is not meant to be the last resort after every call, text, and complaint has already gone out. The first turn of the heart reveals who the believer really trusts with trouble. Running to God first does not deny the pain, but it puts the pain under the care of the closest friend the soul has. [05:56]
3. Daily cleansing keeps pride down The prayer, “God, forgive me of my sins. Purify my heart,” keeps the believer from pretending that yesterday’s grace removed today’s need. Pride grows when confession becomes unnecessary in a person’s own eyes. A clean heart is not just about avoiding scandal, but about being able to love people when their mouths try to pull the believer out of character. [13:33]
4. Divided loyalty drains spiritual strength A heart split between God and the world cannot live steady in the overflow of the Spirit. The world keeps a person running everywhere, trying whatever may work, while God calls the believer to be settled in him. Spiritual strength grows where loyalty stops being divided and the soul quits playing both sides. [18:57]
5. Worship is not outward display The outward appearance can be polished while the inward life is hiding trouble. Dressing up is not wrong, but impressing people is a poor substitute for being purified by the Holy Spirit. God looks past what is worn and deals with what is carried in the heart.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:18] - Coming Close to God
[00:40] - The Holy Spirit Lives Within
[01:25] - Closer Than What Can Be Seen
[02:05] - God Is Present in Every Feeling
[03:20] - Everything Is Going to Be Okay
[03:57] - Prayer Activates What Is Inside
[05:25] - Activating the Overflow First
[06:31] - The Holy Spirit as Closest Friend
[10:26] - God Will Come Close
[12:33] - Wash Your Hands Daily
[14:21] - Purify the Heart
[16:49] - Loneliness and Checking Out on God
[18:57] - Divided Between God and the World
[21:21] - The Overflow Still Operates

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

James 4:8
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” [00:18] [10:26] [12:33] [16:49]

James 4:4
“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” [18:57]

Acts 2:1-4
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” [04:38]

Observation questions

In James 4:8, what two actions are commanded besides drawing near to God, and who are those commands addressed to? [12:33]
What are some of the feelings or situations where the Holy Spirit is still present and close? [02:05]
What does it look like when a person runs to someone else with a problem before turning to God? [05:56]
According to James 4:4 and the message on divided loyalty, what are some signs that a heart is split between God and the world? [18:57]

Interpretation questions

If God is already near through the Holy Spirit, what does “draw near to God” mean in a practical everyday sense? [03:57]
James 4:8 connects nearness to God with cleansing hands and purifying hearts. Why might confession and heart-cleansing be tied so closely to closeness with God? [13:33]
Acts 2 shows the Holy Spirit being poured out, and that same Spirit is still at work today. What might it mean to “activate the overflow” instead of living at a low spiritual level? [04:27]
James warns against being double-minded. Why does divided loyalty make a person spiritually unsteady, especially when trouble comes? [20:49]

Application questions

When trouble hits, who or what usually gets the first response—a phone call, a text, a search, a complaint, or prayer? What would it look like this week to turn to God first? [06:31]
God is close right now, even on low days. What kind of situation has recently made that hard to believe, and what helps the heart remember that his presence has not moved? [01:51]
“Forgive me of my sins. Purify my heart” is a healthy daily prayer. What part of the heart needs that prayer most right now—thoughts, attitude, words, pride, or something else? [14:21]
Someone’s words can easily knock a person out of character. What kind of comment, conflict, or relationship tends to shake peace the fastest, and how can a cleaner heart respond differently? [15:33]
Outward appearance can look polished while the inward life is struggling. Where is there a temptation to look fine on the outside while avoiding what God wants to deal with on the inside? [18:06]
A divided heart keeps running everywhere looking for help. Where has loyalty been split lately between God and the world, and what would a more settled trust in God look like? [19:01]
The Holy Spirit is the closest friend and helper. What simple habit could make more room this week for that closeness—praying in the car, stopping sooner to pray, turning off distractions, or something else? [04:07]

Sermon Clips

81s

#HolySpiritIsCloser

“``Now I want you to think about that for a minute because most folks believe unless I can see you, hear you, popping inside the head, or talk nice to me, you don't get my attention. But the holy spirit is closer than people that we can see, hear, or touch. Amen. The holy spirit lives in the youth that have been saved and baptized here as well as the oldest adore that is in this tabernacle today. We come close to god because the Holy Spirit is right here. Amen. holy spirit is present right now no matter how I'm feeling. holy spirit is present right now in your life no matter how high you feel, how low you may feel, how disappointed you are, or how excited you are today. The holy spirit is close to you right now. Amen.”

78s

#GodIsCloseToMe

“And God will come close to you. And God will come close to you. Everyone wants to feel affection. Everyone wants to feel needed, but god says, I come close to you. That relieves me today that god is close to me. Will you say it with me today? God is close to me. Say it again. God is close with me. Hallelujah. Say it again. is close with me. shall not fall down. I shall not crumble. I shall live. I shall live today. is close to me. Yeah. No matter what is going on, I know that God is close to me. Yes. Oh, let's say it again. God is close to me.”

55s

#PrayMoreDaily

“I am near God right now. You are near God. You may say, woo. I need some cleaning up. We all need some cleaning up. Amen. That's when what you need to do is you need to pray more. Jesus. Jesus. All you have to do is pray more. Amen. That's the answer. Amen. I mean, as much time as we spend driving vehicle or as much time as we spend watching a television too, we have time that we could set aside to pray and let god draw near to us. We have to activate what is on the inside, and that is the Holy Spirit.”

42s

#ActivateTheOverflow

“Even when people want to trouble our minds with what we read or we hear. Mhmm. The holy spirit is close to us, and we must activate that overflow from heaven in our lives. So let me ask you this. How many times this past seven days have you activated the overflow of the holy spirit in your life or you've run to someone else with the problems?”

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