This morning I awoke with the sun spilling into our bedroom from the transom window in the hall. I turned and looked at Mark. He was still out. So, I rolled quietly out of bed and headed for the stairs. It was a quiet moment for just God and me. The kids are visiting their grandparents in Ohio and so the house was pretty much silent. I sat down in my chair and felt embraced by God and overwhelmed with thanksgiving for all He is and for His faithfulness to me. Often, the first thoughts of my day are the responsibilities facing me, or the challenges I might be encountering, but this morning, I just felt full of gratitude to God.
I was prompted in my Bible reading plan to read Psalm 57. As I read this chapter, my joy continued to overflow. (Verses 5, 7-11)
Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
May your glory shine over all the earth.
My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.
The practice of seeking God personally began in my early twenties. I sought God over everything in my life. From that time, He has been filling up my empty heart and life with Himself.
“We have to get into the habit of hearkening to God about everything, to form the habit of find out what God says. If when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we know tha the habit has been formed.” My Utmost For His Highest, May 10th.
Seeking God produces confidence for living and purpose for life.
The greatest lesson I have learned in forming the habit of seeking God is that He is faithful to me.
The other day I was sitting at a stop light with my kids in the car. We were in a hurry to get somewhere and I heard Sophie begin to pray, “Lord, please give us a green light.” It didn’t turn right away and so she slowed her words. “Lord…ppplllleeaaassee….gggiiiiivvve…uuuusss…aaaa…ggrrrrreeeennn…liiiggghht.” I knew what she was doing because I did the very same thing when I was her age. If God wasn’t going to answer my prayer in an instant, I would help Him along. When the prayer ended, the light would be green, I just had to time it right.
I got tickled to see my own child making attempts at prayer the way I started out. I was just happy to see her feeling prompted to pray.
Sophie’s on the right track.
Once the light turned, I spoke up and said, “Sophie, I love that you think to pray and ask God for what you need – even when it comes to something as small as a green light. I know it makes Him smile too. Remember, God’s not a genie waiting for our command. He wants to be so much more to you!” I thought of all the prayers I’ve prayed over the years. God never allowed me to view Him as a genie because that’s not who He is. My genie prayers seemed to fall flat. I’m thankful that when I prayed, God lovingly answered each time with the very best for me in mind.
Will Sophie still lift “genie” prayers to God? My guess is absolutely. But God can teach her more of Himself as she turns to Him with her needs and requests. He will transform her thinking as she draws close to Him and in doing so, transform her prayers. Yes, I want my children to know that in all their pursuits in life, (ie: friendships, career, marriage partner, ministry) they can go to God in prayer. He has a plan for all of that. But more than anything, I want my children to learn that He is what they truly seek.
He is what we truly seek.
I want to encourage each of my children to pursue God in a personal way, to step into an intimate relationship with Him and experience His love and wisdom that pours out into everyday living. When our first pursuit is God, all else falls into place. I mean EVERYTHING. This truth is what caused the joy to spill out of me this morning. Because I’ve seen it in my own life.
I pray daily for God to ignite a passion in my children’s hearts for Him. And there are times I pray frantic prayers for protection from bad choices and specific temptations. I mean the Bible tells us to pray about everything. But I remember one day on my way to exercise class I was on a country road and I was praying for God to do a specific work in one of their lives. I was instructing God as if He were unaware of the situation. I was, in essence, telling Him what would probably be the best course of action. LLLooorrrd, Pppllleaaassse dddoooo tttthhhissss ttthhhhiiinggg IIII nnnneeeed. (You get the idea – the green light prayer)
While I prayed, God began to stir my heart that He is interested in far more than what I was asking. His scope of love and care for them went way beyond the prayer I was lifting. He impressed on my heart that He is interested in filling up the holes in them. He is at work filling up the caverns of their hearts – not just with confidence, or love, or wisdom, or courage (although these are all great) but with Himself.
That day God wanted me to understand that His work is to pour into those empty places in us that no one else can fill. He is interested in our wholeness. Not in giving us what we demand or think we need but giving us completeness which comes only from pursuing Him. He offers fullness of joy no matter what the circumstances.
Friend, is your heart, your life full of holes? Make a habit of turning to God in truth and allow Him to fill you up, with Himself.
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Spend time in His Word, “learning from Him”. How else can you know more about who He is and what He desires for you?
Psalm 119:105 says, Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
My prayer for my children and for you is experience God by letting Him fill you up. Why not start today?
