a cold shower is no fun

I was in the shower this morning....as is my morning ritual, both to bathe and to pray, when another truth hit me. (shocking-i know!)
The water was hot...cause I LOVE a hot shower. It was just hot enough that it didn't burn me or make me run, but hot enough to warm and to make me want to just be drenched by the heat. Standing under the water, soaked with the heat and the water, I felt clean.
But then-as usual...I laid down in the shower to pray. I got my face to the ground and realized that the water that was hot when I was standing was not so warm when I was face down. And then it hit me. I was further away from the source and the water was quickly cooling. It was not as hot on the ground because I was further away from the source of the water.
Now this really has nothing to do with my prayer time and if you try to make an example out of it...you will be totally unbiblical...because face down does not cool you off. So let me make the application quickly before we spin off into a tirade of illustrations that won't line up with the Word.
The principle is this....the closer you are to the source, the more intense heat you feel. This is a basic life principle. Whether standing by a bonfire-the closer you are to the source, the more intense heat you feel. Or standing over the stove-the closer you are to the source, the more instense heat you feel. Or even about the sun-the closer you are to the sun, the more intense heat you feel. Or even my shower-the closer you are to the source, the more intense heat you feel.
How does this apply? The closer you are to the source, the more intense heat you feel. The closer you are to the SON, the more intense heat you will feel. If you want the Light of the glory of God to shine on you...don't move away from the source. Our tendency is to move away from things that are pushing us towards Jesus. Our tendency is to back away from the heat, so we don't get burned. Our tendency is to move away so that it is more comfortable.
Our God is a consuming fire. But He does not burn us up with His heat, instead He consumes all we are and envelopes us with His intensity so that we will have a deluge of His presence. Don't back away from that. Don't stand in the coolness of distance. Instead, snuggle up close...feel His warmth and His heat. Allow Him to drench you with the rain of His presence and allow the Heat of His intensity to overtake you. Don't back off from the heat...instead...allow it to invoke in you a need to stay there-where everything apart from His presence feels cold and distant.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to You. Our God is a consuming fire. Don't back off...press in. A cold shower is NO fun at all. So allow Him to rain down His intense heat on you. ALL FOR YOU