There are many ways for us to seek God’s presence correctly, and these are all written in the Sacred Scriptures. We think that our current thoughts and actions are enough to bring us closer to God, but we are straying farther from Him.
Seeking God may not be as easy as it sounds, but God is not approachable—in fact, He is waiting for us to come to Him. The problem lies within ourselves because we do not know how to seek Him.
Contents
- 1 What Does It Mean To Seek God?
- 2 What Do We Seek From God?
- 3 What Are The Obstacles To Avoid When Seeking God?
- 4 Why Is Seeking God Important?
- 5 How Can We Seek God Today?
- 6 8 Powerful Ways To Seeking God And His Presence
- 6.1 1. Start And End Your Day In Prayer.
- 6.2 2. Make Conscious Choices To Seek God In Our Lives.
- 6.3 3. Asking For Forgiveness For Our Sins Is Another Important Way To Seek God.
- 6.4 4. Never Miss An Opportunity To Say Thanks To Our Lord.
- 6.5 5. Read The Sacred Scriptures.
- 6.6 6. Give Praise To The Lord Our God, Even Though It Is Not Everyday That We Experience Triumph.
- 6.7 7. Let Everyone Know That Your Soul Thirsts For God And God Alone.
- 6.8 8. Learn To Surrender Everything To God.
- 7 Conclusion
What Does It Mean To Seek God?
To seek God is to be in the presence of our Lord. However, it can be hard to tell if we are already standing in His presence or if we should keep looking. The clue here is the English word “presence,” which is translated straight from the Hebrew word “face.”
Hence, if we are seeking the presence of God, we are trying to see God’s face[1]. We all know that the face holds the identity of a person, and the same applies to our Lord God. We can identify God if we are able to seek His presence correctly.
Unfortunately, not everyone can seek God’s face because it can be obscured by worldly distractions. We are often distracted by our own selfish desires, like wealth, influence, and power.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with attending to our personal needs, like seeking a high-paying job so that we can provide for our families or saving up to have our own house. This becomes a problem when we focus so much on material possessions that we lose sight of the only thing that should matter: our relationship with God.
If things like money and fame become the center of our lives, then we are pulling ourselves away from God’s presence. People spend most of their time figuring out how to increase their income, but they no longer find the time to pray and talk to God. They act as if they can do everything all by themselves, and there is no longer a need to seek the Lord for guidance.
If you realize that you have become one of these people, then it is important that you start seeking God once again. Our world today is an endless source of carnal desires that weaken our spiritual connection with God. That is why the Bible teaches us to seek God’s presence continually.
What Do We Seek From God?
Our worldly desires prevent us from seeking God. Every day, we discover many things that we think are more important than establishing our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Therefore, if we are determined to restore our connection with God, we should also seek His presence continually.
Psalm 105:4 says, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” This means that seeking God is not something that we should do when we only have the chance. We must commit to seeking His face consistently for the rest of our lives.
His presence is the one that we seek when we attempt to get close to God. It is only in God’s presence that we can obtain our spiritual needs. We must remember that above all, our primary goal as Christians is to become one with God in his heavenly kingdom for eternity. This is what God promised us, as long as we believe in Him.
The sad reality is that because of the carnal desires and temptations in this world, many people have already forgotten about God’s promise of eternal life. Hence, people no longer seek His presence; they think that there is no need to ask anything of God anymore.
We also fail to recognize that we are growing weaker by the day because of what we lack spiritually. Living without moral and spiritual guidance will only lead to our destruction. Therefore, we must seek the Lord every day for our salvation. We must seek the forgiveness of our sins so that we can become worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
It should also be clear that God never wanted to be away from us. In fact, He is constantly making an effort to get near us, but it is through our lack of faith and trust in His words that we become separated from God. Our Lord’s most significant gesture of wanting us to return to Him was when He sent His own son, Jesus Christ, to save us.
Imagine how much God loves us for Him to offer His own flesh and blood so that we can be saved from our sins. We must accept the fact that we cannot save ourselves from our own sins, and only Jesus has the power to do that as our Redeemer. The teachings of Christ should be our guide in finding our way back to the Almighty Father. Now, it is up to us if we will seek God or continue to dwell in our wicked ways.
What Are The Obstacles To Avoid When Seeking God?
Some people think that it is impossible to see God because He is the Almighty God and that we are not worthy to see Him. However, there is no rule that prevents us from seeing God’s face. The reason we have not seen God’s appearance is that it is hidden from us by worldly distractions.
If it weren’t for the obstacles that prevent us from seeing God face to face, it should have been easier to seek Him. Our personal desires blind us from seeing the most important thing in our lives. There are instances when people can be so willfully blind that they are merely refusing to seek God. Our Lord is actually right in front of us, ready to reveal His appearance, but we choose to look away and turn our attention to things that don’t really matter.
Our physical desires and greed for money and power are some of the obstacles that keep us from seeking God. They create this illusion that we can live by ourselves and that we don’t need anything or anyone else, including the Lord our God. Unfortunately, the more that we believe this illusion, the more that our soul needs to be saved.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle that we face is our own pride. This is the hurdle that we must all learn to overcome because it prevents us from realizing how much we need God in our lives. Psalm 10:4 says, “In the pride of his face, the wicked does not seek him.”
The moment that we become used to material possessions here on Earth, we ought to think that we don’t need God anymore. The worst thing that could happen is when we start to believe that we can be bigger than God Himself.
By getting past our own pride, it will be easier for us to seek God. 1 Chronicles 28:9 states that “If you seek him, he will be found by you.” We are fortunate that God does not intend to pose a challenge in seeking His presence. The truth is that the Lord wants us to find Him freely. The only challenge lies in ourselves if we are willing to seek God.
The best way that we can successfully overcome every obstacle in seeking God is to be humble. It is through humility that we can build a close relationship with God.
Why Is Seeking God Important?
A great reward awaits anyone who successfully finds God. Hebrews 11:6 states, “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”
Anything is possible through our Almighty God, so there are endless possibilities for how He can reward us for seeking Him. Although having God beside us is supposed to be our biggest reward in and of itself, imagine having an all-powerful, loving God by our side who is constantly hearing our calls. By showing our faith and loyalty in Him, it will be much easier for God to hear our prayers.
Another great reward for seeking God is the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life. This should be the goal of every Christian in the world, but it is sadly being forgotten because of our lack of desire to seek God. Still, because of the examples set to us by Jesus Christ, it should be easy to find our way back to God.
How Can We Seek God Today?
It might seem hard to seek God today, considering how much we are all blinded by the worldly possessions that parade themselves as necessities. Although seeking the Lord should not be difficult, God should be the center of our lives as long as we are willing to commit.
To put our focus back on God, we should find time for Him in our daily lives. Begin by saying a prayer to God every day. This way, we are showing our desire to rebuild our relationship with the Lord.
This is similar to how we try to reconnect with a friend after a disagreement. Every good relationship starts with a great conversation, and we can have that with God by fervently praying to Him daily.
It is also important for us as Christians to know God on a more personal level. We can achieve this by reading God’s word in the Bible. To be familiar with the Bible verses is the best way for us to familiarize ourselves with God, just like how we get to know other people by reading their journals.
8 Powerful Ways To Seeking God And His Presence
1. Start And End Your Day In Prayer.
You can allot at least 10 minutes of your time to God so that you can have a close conversation with Him. This is what many people tend to forget, even though they are willing to seek God.
They have the time to spend working and talking with their friends, but they no longer find the time to pause for a while and talk to God. Prayer should be a good start to discovering the intimacy in our personal relationship with the Lord.
2. Make Conscious Choices To Seek God In Our Lives.
In the Bible, Jesus tells us to go the extra mile in establishing our relationship with the Lord. The best way to do this is to remove all the distractions that keep us from seeking God.
For example, by removing our focus on material possessions and our desire for wealth, we can set our minds on things that bring glory to our Lord. By being active members of the church, we can show our willingness to take our relationship with God to the next level. We can also ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit to keep us away from these temptations.
3. Asking For Forgiveness For Our Sins Is Another Important Way To Seek God.
When we accept our faults and shortcomings, we are also accepting the importance of having God replenish our souls. We cannot embrace God and His holiness if we are still afflicted by our sins.
4. Never Miss An Opportunity To Say Thanks To Our Lord.
There are many reasons for us to be grateful to God, but because we lack the humility to acknowledge God’s blessings in our lives, we forget the need to seek God.
5. Read The Sacred Scriptures.
If we want to seek God, we should know about Him, and the Bible has everything that we should know about our Lord God. We must reflect on God’s words that are written in the Bible, and do our best to live up to the examples shown to us by Christ.
6. Give Praise To The Lord Our God, Even Though It Is Not Everyday That We Experience Triumph.
There will be days when we feel that God is not with us, but there is always a reason for us to offer praise to Him. Also, by showing our faith in our Lord even in difficult times, we are showing our dedication to seeking God in our lives.
7. Let Everyone Know That Your Soul Thirsts For God And God Alone.
Hence, you should remove all the false gods and idols that you may have worshipped all these years. Sometimes, these false idols can be our careers, fame, and wealth. We must acknowledge that God is our main objective and not these temporary, material things.
8. Learn To Surrender Everything To God.
The Bible tells us that the ultimate move to seek the Lord is to put our trust in Him. There is no greater way of doing this than entrusting our lives to God. Allow Him to be the driver who determines the course of our lives. Have faith, and God will send the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey.
Conclusion
Seeking God means that we should continually seek His presence in every area of our lives. God has no intention of hiding from us, but material possessions and sin have concealed Him from our sight.
However, there is also a need for us to save our souls from eternal damnation, and this can only be addressed when we start to seek and worship God. We must experience spiritual growth, something that our worldly desires cannot give us.
Remember to keep your sights fixed on God. Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Trust that everything will fall back into place.
Thank you for this insight on seeking God with my whole heart. I always want and have a strong desired to know God more to grown in him, and learn more and more about him, and what he called me to do. I want his power and his presences to be demonstrated through and from my life everyday every chance.