To be clear, James is not talking about salvation. We could never save ourselves. Jesus died to save us while we were still captive to our sins. Instead, James is referring to intimacy, friendship and closeness with God.

God does not force intimacy. If we’re saved, but choose priorities besides God, He lets us stay distant. He may nudge or whisper, but the choice for intimacy lies with us. If we want to be close to God, we must draw near.

This is what we do in Transformation Prayer Ministry. We describe TPM as positioning prayer. We draw near to God by positioning ourselves to hear His voice. When we do, we discover something remarkable: God draws near to us.

When God draws near, things change. Pain heals. Lies vanish. Truth sinks deep into the heart. I could tell you hundreds of stories of God at work through TPM. Here are just a few:

• One person arrived screaming with anger. Yet they chose to draw near. God gently exposed the lies behind their anger, replaced them with truth, and the anger vanished. This person no longer needed to control their anger, it was simply gone. The offenses had still happened, but the person could now forgive and feel no anger. It’s like Jesus feeling no anger toward those crucifying Him.

• Another person felt afraid of God. Yet they chose to draw near. Throughout their life they had erected barriers to block out God’s voice, afraid that He would condemn them for their failures. As they drew near, God gently removed those barriers. Once they were gone, He spoke what He had long desired to say—words of grace, protection and love.

• A third person couldn’t escape unworthiness and shame. Yet they chose to draw near. God gently exposed the lies feeding these feelings—perfectionism, self-condemnation and trying to earn favor instead of receiving grace. God replaced each lie with biblical truth. Shame fled when it had no sin left to hide.

TPM is not magic. Instead, it lays out biblical truths in an easy-to-follow path that helps you draw near to God. Once you learn the path, you can use this prayer tool to draw near to God in the best or worst of times, amid pain or the thrill of joy. In both places, He has things to speak to you. It helps you position yourself to hear His voice.

Schedule an appointment to learn more about Transformation Prayer.

Kyle Davison Bair is Prayer Ministries Pastor at New Hope Church. He has a passion for people to call on the name of Jesus for direction and seek an authentic culture of prayer in this church.