How To Seek The Lord
I became a Christian long before I ever had a relationship with the Lord and there is such a big difference. We can know a lot about God and not know Him. The same way we can know who a celebrity is, but we don’t “know” them, what they are like, what makes them cry, what makes them laugh, this only comes from long times spent together. This requires intimacy.
The Lord wants true intimacy with us and I believe that the more we press in the more He will reveal to us. He is the treasure we really are needing in our lives.
Here are just a few verses on what God’s Word says about seeking Him:
“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deut 4:29
“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Prov. 8:17
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer 29:13
In so many other verses He tells us about seeking wisdom, hunger and thirsting for righteousness and giving up all we have to buy something that we have sought with all our heart.
The Lord is asking us into the chase.
But what does this look like…practically.
Let me be clear from the start that there is not a formula to this because there is no formula to relationship. How weird would it be if I was in a super cool mentor relationship with someone who had taught me invaluable life lessons and wanted you to meet them. If I gave you awkward instructions like, “OK, first sit down and read this for exactly 20 minutes, than say these words over and over again, and then hurry up and leave” you would be highly concerned about every aspect of that.
Each relationship is slightly different because every person is different. There is only one formula necessary, show up, and show up often. You can not know someone or learn from them if you do not spend time with them.
Here are a few things I have learned help me seek the heart of the Lord.
Invite the Holy Spirit to Lead and Speak
The Holy Spirit is our helper. He has been commissioned to do many things in our lives including reminding us of what God has taught us, revealing truth to us, correcting and convicting us, and He reveals to us the heart of the Father.
Each time you come to spend time with the Lord ask the Holy Spirit for His help. Ask Him to reveal things in God’s Word, to help you know what to pray for, to come and encourage your heart and speak to you the things you need and to point out the ways in which He wants to change you. HE and not our own knowledge or self discipline is what is going to bring real change and help us find what we are looking for.
Read Straight Through the Bible
Don’t get me wrong, there are so many great resources, Bible studies, devotions, etc. BUT if you really want to know God and His Word for yourself and seek Him and hear Him speak to you, there is nothing like reading the Word for yourself. I highly recommend the Read Scripture App if you are someone who likes to be kept on track, but remember it’s a tool, not a dictator. Going fast or checking boxes doesn’t give us any more spiritual brownie points.
Marinate in God’s Word
You might say, meditate on it. We are such a culture of rush and productivity that sometimes the art of letting something roll over our hearts and really reflect on us is missed in our hurry. In fact, when I was using the Read Scripture App I had to stop when I got to the New Testament because who can read three chapters in a sitting. It’s like blending a three-course meal into a smoothie rather than savoring every wonderful morsel for what it is.
Ask Questions: When you come to a portion of Scripture often you will realize you have read that or heard it before but have no ever-loving idea what on earth it means. The point of reading Scripture isn’t to say we have read it, to say we know it, or even quote it, it is to be transformed by it.
Ask questions like….
What does Jesus mean when He says those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled?
What does He expect me to do to hunger and thirst? What does that look like? Am I doing that? How could I start?
What does it mean to be filled? Filled with what? What is this awesome blessing that I am promised if I get this and apply it to me life?
Maybe I am just a weirdo but this gets me so excited! It really is like a treasure map that if we follow leads to more and more freedom, more and more hope, and more and more life! It’s thrilling!!
Get Answers
I am no theologian, but I have learned how to love a commentary. This is not for extra special people. If regular people like you and I don’t press in to really unearth the treasure of Scripture and apply it to our lives then the world is in big trouble. Who will be an example of what is possible, who will hold out hope, and who will teach those coming behind them?
I commonly do something as simple as Google the chapter and verse and the word “com” after it and see what commentaries come up. Most often I go to BibleHub.com and read the different commentator’s views on a particular verse.
This feels like digging to me, looking, searching, and seeking. How badly do we want to know?
Repent
I feel like the Lord is pressing in on this more and more. We have lost the art of repentance. I heard a teaching several years ago about coming to the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart and so I do practice this regularly (every day) so I know there is no sin blocking Him from speaking to me and my hearing. Because it is Jesus’ blood that cleanses us and makes us right before God, I also pray His blood over my life and those I am praying for. Take it or leave it, but I have seen God do miracles by incorporating this idea in my prayer life.
Pray
Don’t pray out of obligation
Pray like your life is on fire…because if it’s not, it most likely will be sometime soon. Pray for the Fear of the Lord, for reverence, for trembling at who He is and what He can do. Get low, on your knees, on your face, whatever you can do. No, it’s not as comfy as sitting in my puffy recliner with my prayer journey or what have you, but again, the power that I have seen come from demanding my body align with what I want my life to do, I have seen amazing things from and through the Lord.
Pray to God’s ability, not what you see.
This is why we need to know His Word and know Him. What is He capable of? Quite a lot. What does He require to walk by? Faith. So pray like you believe He can. Even if He doesn’t, don’t pray guarded by your disappointment, pray to the God who is able!
Pray God’s Word
You have rights as a child of God. You would never want to go to court without knowing your rights if you were being accused. No, they can’t pull a fast one on you! Know what God has given you, what is rightfully yours, and pray it over your life, over your loved ones, and over these situations we are facing. God ALWAYS backs up His Word.
Don’t give up.
We plant and we plow but the Lord brings the harvest. If something or someone remains on your heart… fight, intercede, stand and keep on. Prayers aren’t spiritual wishes, they are words that can move the hand of God and people’s entire lives. Don’t forget the power Christ died to give you, use that!
Worship
Call me weird, but the Lord and I have songs. We have secret experiences and inside jokes, just like any relationship that is close would have. He has been there for every moment of my life. He has stood with me on the tallest heights of my life where everything was wonderful and crawled next to me when I didn’t think I could go on. This result is being in love.
Worship is singing but it’s more than that. It’s holding your heart up to Him and saying over and over again, “I believe you, I trust you, I love you! You are able, you are glorious, you are who you say you are!”
Worship is where your hearts meet, where life comes, and where the battles are waged and often, won.
Let Him Love You
I believe part of seeking the Lord is letting Him love you. Not the you you wish you were, but you, right now, flaws and hot mess and all. Let Him speak His love over you, and even harder, receive it. God is not more in love with the future more holy version of you, He loves you passionately right now. He died for you, He is fighting for you and sometimes the most courageous thing we can do is hear Him say over us, “Still Love You!”
Jesus will now and always will be the best decision you will ever make to spend your time pursuing. What if everything changed in not only your life but everyone you loved and you saw things you didn’t know were possible?
He. Is. Worth. It.
