Day 27
Seeking His Face
God’s Heart Yearns That We Know Him
A few years ago my wife and I were out shopping at a local Wal-Mart. I had to go pick up a few things from another department while she went and looked at clothes. After getting what I needed, I walked into the ladies department and spotted my wife from behind. I walked up beside her, put my arm around her and asked “Are you ready to go?” However, when she turned her head so I could see her face, I realized I had just made a horrible mistake! This was not my wife. I was horrified; and although she never said a word, the expression on her face told me that she was probably much more horrified than I. I immediately turned to see the face of my wife about fifty feet away laughing at me. My wife and I have been married for over twenty years, and I know her well. Unfortunately, on this day by not seeing her face, I made an absolute fool of myself.
How many times have we looked at the back of an individual and mistakenly thought it was someone else? Hopefully, not to my extent of foolishness! How many times have we seen the back of a man and thought it was a woman or the back of a woman and thought it was a man? We can only be certain when we see the face of the individual. Only then we can recognize who they are. Unless someone wanted for a crime has distinguishing marks only the persons face is seen on the wanted poster. If you have seen that person, you know his face. The face of an individual is the most distinct and intimate part of a person that distinguishes them from everyone else.
For this reason God tells us not only in II Chronicles 7:14 but also in many places throughout scripture to seek His face. To seek His face is to know Him. God’s heart is that we know Him and we seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 says that “He (God) is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” He rewards us with the power of His presence. There are some things about God that we cannot know today because our finite minds cannot comprehend them. God is an all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present being who is in many ways beyond our comprehension. However, God has not hidden Himself nor made His character a mystery. He has made Himself known. He longs for us to seek Him, for us to find Him, and for us to know Him. Jesus said in John 17:3 as He prayed to the Father, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
From the very first man and woman (Adam and Eve) to this present day, God has desired a relationship. God had a close relationship with Adam and Eve while they were in the Garden of Eden. After they had sinned against Him God then set up a sacrificial system in order to continue the relationship. The Old Testament sacrificial system was an imperfect and temporary system that was set up only until the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, God in the flesh, came to this world for one purpose. He stated that purpose in Luke 19:10 when He said, “The Son of Man, (Jesus) has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” John 1:29 records John the Baptist saying of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of this world.” Jesus came to this world for the purpose of being the Lamb of God who would lay down His life in order that whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord would have a relationship with Him.
As we clearly see, God desires for us to seek Him and to know Him. I also believe that the more we seek God and the more we come to know God, the more we are going to want to know God. To know Him is to love Him. Moses is the greatest example of this. Moses had one of the most intimate relationships with God that any man on this earth has ever had. He first met God in the burning bush; then he spent forty days on two occasions with God on Mt. Sinai. After the construction of the Tabernacle, he then went and met with God every day.
Although Moses was grateful for the relationship he had with God and for all the ways God blessed him, Moses still wanted to know more of God. In Exodus 33:12-23 we find the record of Moses asking God to show His glory. God told Moses that no man could see His face and live. However, God showed Moses a passing glimpse of His glory to the extent that it caused Moses’ face to shine. The glory of God transformed Moses, and for the rest of his days he had to wear a veil over his face to cover his glowing face that continued to shine the glory of God all his days.
Today through Christ we are invited into the very presence of God to bask in His glory. Just as the glory of God transformed Moses life, when we seek and find the glory of God, it will forever transform our lives. But unlike Moses, we do not veil our faces. We allow His glory to shine through us for the world to see. II Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
We, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have been invited into the very presence of God. We must understand what a high honor that is! When we enter into His presence we enter into His glory. His glory then begins to transform us from who we are into who He is. The more time we spend in the glorious presence of God, the more we become transformed into His likeness. However, if we do not seek Him, we will not find Him. How then do we seek God out? We seek Him through worship, through prayer, through His Word, and through meditation on His Word. Remember, if we seek Him, we will find Him.
Day 27 Prayer Guide
- Ask God to reveal any sin or mindset that would prevent Him from hearing your prayers.
- Repent of any such hindrance and ask for God’s forgiveness.
- Ask God to remove any doubts and keep you focused on Him.
- Seek the Holy Spirit to consume you during this time to lead you. Be obedient to Him.
- Spend some time praising God for the fact that He is able. Quote some scriptures or some of His characteristics to Him in praise.
- Pray that the people of God will repent of sins and mindsets that dishonor and hinder Him.
- Pray that God would reveal prideful attitudes of self-sufficiency and bring about repentance.
- Pray that our foremost desire would be to know God more.
- Pray that all Christians would hunger and thirst for God.
- Pray that the world will see the churches utmost desire for God and be drawn to Him.
- Pray that the people of God will stand in faith knowing God can reclaim this land.
- Pray that our churches would be devoted to, and peruse the things that honor God.
- Pray that the people of God would see the need for revival and begin to seek God for it.
- Pray specifically for revival in your church. Pray for your pastor and church leaders.
- Pray that the people of God will be broken hearted over the lost.
- Pray that the church will be a gospel centered church with a heart to evangelize the world while starting in their own back yard.
- Pray that the power of God would fall on the church moving them to prayer and sowing the gospel seed.
- Pray for a great awakening in your community. Name off streets and neighborhoods.
- Do not be judgmental in this, but pray that if there is any within the church who do not have a genuine relationship with Jesus that God would convict their heart and save them.
- Make a list of individuals who are not saved and begin petitioning God for their salvation.
- Pray for repentance of sin and a great awakening in our nation.
Comments