Prayer Journal Entry #16: Relationship with God

Dear God, (December 17th, 2007)
What does it mean to have a personal relationship with You? It seems like everyone around me thinks that it’s getting up early to read their Bible (and a devotional book) and praying so that they can check it off their to-do list. But I don’t think that a relationship with You is supposed to be a habit, or a matter of duty. Is that personal, really loving? I haven’t found a single place in Your Word where it says, "Thou shalt have thy Quiet Time every morning at 6am."
So, what does it mean to really have a close, loving, personal relationship with You? I want to have a relationship like that with You, but I haven’t found it in the stale, dry, "Quiet Time" ritual. I want to really know You. Not some made-up, impersonal God who just wants to be met every morning in the same way. So, how do I find this kind of relationship? I know that Your Word (in Jeremiah 29:13) says that I will find You if I seek You with my whole heart, but how do I do that? How do I find a real, intimate relationship with You, while all those around me just have a duty relationship with You?
I really want to know You, Abba. Please show me how. Please don’t let me keep on talking to You and reading Your precious Word out of habit. I want to really be able to enter Your presence and find fullness of joy. I want my love for You and for Your Word to grow and grow. Right now, my relationship with You is just as shallow as everyone else’s. But I want that to change. I want to really know You. I want to be able to really love You, not some made-up god who requires strict devotion out of habit every morning. Please, Abba, I want to know You.
Yours Forever,
Rachel