Hungering for His presence

1 John 3:16-24
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. "

Our hearts can be at rest in God's presence when they are not condemning us, we can set our hearts at rest by loving with actions and in truth. I find that interesting that the Word doesn't just say, " by loving with actions", but that it also includes, "and in truth". That the actions would be done in truth, loving truth and loving intentions in our actions.
I also notice a relationship between our hearts being at peace with God, and receiving answer to prayer. As we love others with Christ's love, we testify to our own hearts that we are in Christ, and can have confidence before God. There's a confidence that has no condemnation with it from our own hearts. When I feel my heart is free of sin, and I have repented and confessed, there's a confidence that comes, a knowing that I am clean and a knowing that I am in Christ. There's a freedom in that place, and a confidence to approach the throne and ask the Father in prayer, and a confidence in knowing He will answer. There's no doubt. You know you are in Christ Jesus.

So, God I ask for you to fill my heart with your love for others. Your love for people, for those who are easy to love and not easy to love. It doesn't matter, your Word is clear that I am to love if I am your child. That in loving with actions and in truth I can KNOW that I belong to the truth! I can have my heart at rest in Your presence, whenever my heart condemns me. Because God you are greater than my heart, You know all things. You know the desire in my heart to live Christlike. You know the desire in my heart to love you above all else. I need to know and experience this confidence again, where my heart has no room to condemn me. I want that confidence again of approaching your throne and KNOWING that you will answer! I don't know when or where or how, but I feel distant from that place of confidence before you. And it bothers me. Oh Lord, draw me back to that place of complete confidence in your presence. Help me carry on Jesus. You are the sustainer and giver of all LIFE. Breathe into the places in my heart that are weary. Set my heart aflame again, as when I first discovered your love for me! I love you Jesus! I miss your nearness! I don't want religion, I don't want church, I don't want services, sermons, theology,.... I just want you, Jesus. You are the reason for this life, You are the reason for all those things. If I don't meet with you, don't experience you, hear from you, what's the point. I must have YOU!!! I must have You Jesus!!!! I'm so thankful you hear my heart's cry. But I want to move into a place of the nearness of Your presence again. Lead me there Good Shepard. In your name Jesus, come and let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.