What could be more important than finding God? Take a day, a
week or a month and do nothing but seek Him, persisting until you find Him. He
has promised, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all
your heart” (Jer. 29:13).
If we truly find Him, no one will have to tell us to be
humble. No one need convince us our old natures are as filthy rags. As we truly
find God, the things that are so highly esteemed among men will become
detestable in our sight (Luke 16:15).
As you touch Him, something will come alive in you:
something eternal, Someone Almighty! Instead
of looking down on people, you will seek to lift them up. You will dwell in the
presence of God. And you will be holy, for He is holy.
There are certain times when the Lord calls us out of the
routine of our daily lives. These are special seasons where His only command
is, “Seek My face.” He has something precious and vitally important to give us
that the familiar pattern of our daily devotions cannot accommodate. During
such times people are often delivered of sins that have plagued them for years;
others discover a depth in their walk with God that leads to greater
effectiveness in ministry and prayer; still others experience breakthroughs in
their families and are used by God to see loved ones brought into the kingdom.
Yet we are not seeking God for things or even for other
people. We are seeking God for Himself. Maturity starts as we break the cycle of seeking God only during hardship; holiness begins
the moment we seek God for Himself. A touch from God is wonderful, but we are
in pursuit of more than just an experience—more than “goose bumps and tears.” We
are seeking to abide with Christ, where we are continually aware of His
fullness within us, where His presence dwells in us in glory.
How do we enter this sacred place? If we study the life of
Moses (and Jesus), we will see how he sought God and lived in fellowship with
Him. He pitched a tent outside the camp and he and everyone who sought the Lord
went outside the camp to the tent of meeting. (Ex. 33:7). We must pitch our
tent a “good distance from the camp.” What camp is this? For Moses, as well as
for us, it is the “camp of familiarity.”
Is there anything inherently wrong or sinful with the things
that are familiar? No, not in themselves, but you will remember that when Jesus
told His disciples to follow Him, He called them to leave the familiar pattern
of their lives for extended periods and be alone with him (Matt. 19:27; Luke
14:33). Why? Because He knew that men, by nature, are unconsciously governed by
the familiar. If He would expand us to receive the eternal, He must rescue us
from the limitations of the temporal.
This is not to say we neglect our families or that we become
irresponsible as we seek God. No, God has given everyone enough time to seek
Him. It is there, having done what love would have us do for our families, we
simply say no to every other voice but God’s. We must redeem the time: Cancel
hobbies, forsake television, and put away the newspaper and magazines. Those
who would find God find time.
Sadly, many Christians have no higher goal, no greater aspiration,
than to become “normal.” Paul rebuked the church of Corinth because they walked
“like mere men” (1 Cor. 3:3). God has more for us than merely becoming better
people; He wants to flood our lives with the same power that raised Christ from
the dead. We must understand: God does not merely want us “normal.” He wants us
Christ-like.
For the Holy Spirit to facilitate God’s purposes in our
lives, He must redefine both our definition of reality and our priorities in
life. Christ-likeness must become our singular goal.
When we work all day only to come home, watch television,
then collapse in bed, our lifestyle becomes a chain of bondage. These things
may not necessarily trap us in sin as much as they keep us from God. Moses
would leave what was familiar and pitch his tent “outside the camp,” where he
would then seek the Lord. So also must we, at times, leave the camp of what
seems normal and predictable and begin to seek after God.
This is one reason why Jesus said, “When
you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray” (Matt. 6:6,
NASB). Christ desires us to leave the familiar, distracting world of our senses
and abide in the world of our hearts, bearing in mind that the highest goal of
prayer is to find God.
Adapted from Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God, by Francis Frangipane, copyright 2011, published by
Charisma House. This book takes you on a journey toward true holiness, not from
following rules, but from seeking God, finding Him, dwelling in His presence
and pursuing His glory. To order a copy click on this link:
PRAYER POWER FOR THE WEEK OF 10-17-2011
This week make it a priority to seek God in prayer and find Him. Open your heart to receive His Holy Spirit and
let Him use the Word to renew your mind and transform you into the image of
Christ. Thank Him that He desires to meet with you and allows you to find Him
as He promised.
Continue to pray for deep repentance and revival in our
churches, and that God would send out more laborers to reap a global harvest of
souls and expand His kingdom. Thank Him for His protection over Israel, our own
nation, our military and their families. Pray that our nation would seek to
honor God once again, and that our government leaders would ask Him for wisdom
when making decisions affecting our economy, national security and wellbeing.
Jer. 29:13; Luke 16:33
To enrich your prayer
life and learn how to strategically pray with power by using appropriate
scriptures, we recommend the following sources by Apostle John Eckhardt: Prayers that Rout Demons, Prayers that Bring Healing, Prayers that Release Heaven on Earth and Prayers that Break
Curses. To order any or all of these click here.
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