Philippians 4:6 NASB1995

[6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

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Seeking and Finding God

In the Old Testament, God’s presence and His relationship with His people was mediated through priests and the temple system. The people of God worshiped God and prayed to Him, but it was the priests who would enter a sacred space and speak with God on their behalf.

They revered God, but they were still separated from Him.

However, the prophet Jeremiah wrote about a time when God’s people would be able to experience a direct relationship with Him. God’s Spirit would dwell in them, and they could find Him anywhere at any time.

Through Jesus, Jeremiah's prophecy was fulfilled. Jesus sent the Spirit of God to dwell within us, to have access to God’s presence at any time.

This means that God is never far from you—just like it says in Jeremiah 29:13, He can be found when we seek Him. He is present and ready for a relationship with you.

Jeremiah also says that we must seek God with all of our heart. We don't just seek God, He seeks us as well. When you pursue a relationship with God, He wants access to every part of you. The way you think, the way you act, and even the way you feel.

He wants to transform your entire life.

At first, it may seem hard to give God access to our past, or the things we’re ashamed of. But God is full of grace and mercy, and He wants us to be free from those things. Seeking God with all of your heart may feel risky at times, but we can trust He knows best and will love us regardless of what we’ve done.

Ask God to reveal within you any part of your life that you haven’t surrendered to God. Pray for the strength and courage to give all of your life to God. Continue to seek Him and follow Him each and every day.

Finding Satisfaction for Your Soul

Imagine you’re one of the Israelites traveling through the wilderness with Moses. You’ve been wandering ever since God rescued you from slavery in Egypt. You’re thirsty, but water is nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Moses raises his staff and strikes a rock—and water begins to flow from it. In that moment, you thank God for providing your greatest need.

Thousands of years later, the Jews in Jerusalem were celebrating God’s provision for them when they wandered in the wilderness. For seven days, they would fill a golden pitcher with water and pour it onto an altar to remember how God provided water for their ancestors. On the eighth day, no water was poured, but they would pray and reflect on God fulfilling His promises for His people. As they were praying in the temple, Jesus stood up and cried out:

Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. 
John 7:37-38 NIV

Nothing was poured onto the altar that day, but Jesus offered something greater. By comparing Himself to the water that God provided for the Israelites, He was offering to provide for their deepest needs—a relationship with Him. 

Just as water satisfies our thirst, Jesus promises to satisfy us. Meaning that when we accept Him wholeheartedly, we have the opportunity to experience the fullness of His love, peace, and goodness in every circumstance we face. 

And not only does He promise to satisfy us, but He promises to overflow within us by blessing us so much that we have an opportunity to share our blessings with others. This can look like serving others with the time God has given us, or maybe forgiving someone who has hurt you because Jesus has forgiven you.

There’s so many ways to bless others. Take some time today to think about how you can share your blessings with those around you.

Matthew 7:8 NASB1995
[8] For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

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Pray Like This

Prayer is simply an honest, ongoing conversation with God.  

Jesus tells us that God knows what we need (Matthew 6:8), but He still wants us to come and tell Him what’s on our minds. He's a good Father who cares for us (Matthew 7:11). He wants to speak into our circumstances, comfort our hearts, and shape our perspectives.  

He loves giving good gifts to His children—gifts they want, long for, and ask for. But sometimes, what we want isn’t actually good for us. 

When Jesus says in Matthew 7:8, “Ask, and it will be given to you,” He isn’t saying that we will get everything we ask for...

God cannot—and will not—give us anything that contradicts His character. God will only give us what is good, and sometimes a “no” from God is the response we actually need. But He still wants us to bring Him all our desires, and if we ask for anything that aligns with His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)

So how do we discover God’s will?
We spend time with Him. 

The more we get to know God, the more we will understand His character. And it’s only when we understand His character that we will ask for things that align with His will. 

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 are a promise that when we ask for God, He gives us Himself. When we humbly seek God, He finds us. And when we come to Him as we are, He welcomes us with open arms.

When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. And when He draws near, He transforms the way we think, renews our minds, restores our souls, and leads us down paths that are for our good and His glory.

Desiring God’s Presence

Take a moment to think about your desires in life. Make a mental list of all of the things you want to accomplish. Think about your top priorities and where you think you should spend your time.

Now, go back over your list and consider how many of your desires included spending time with God. Did any of your accomplishments require being in God’s presence?

The writer of Psalm 42 compares himself to a deer that is longing for water. The deer is weary and parched without it, and so all it wants is to find a stream to drink from.

In a similar way, the Psalmist is weary and exhausted from life. He is under pressure and growing tired. And yet, his innermost desire is for God. 

Just like the deer desires water, the psalmist’s soul desires the presence of God. He knows that the solution to his problems is not more accomplishments and praise—it’s spending time in the presence of God.

It’s not wrong to have desires and goals in life. But our foremost desire should be for God, because true satisfaction is only found in His presence.

Because God is not limited to a building or a location, we can be with Him any time we want. God is Spirit and He exists everywhere at any time. He is present right now with you.

All it takes is your desire and commitment to spend time with Him by reading His Word, talking to Him through prayer, or reflecting on His faithful character. As you draw close to Him, He is ready and willing to be close to you, and to restore your soul.

Spending time with God is a basic spiritual need of ours, but it is a powerful time that can change the course of our life and the center of who we are. Take time to be with Him now, but also come up with a plan that helps you continue to seek God every day.

The Shepherd’s Promise

Psalm 23 is a poem about God as our Shepherd. It’s all about how God knows what's best for us. He knows who we are and the paths we should walk in life. Because He is our Shepherd, He also is our Protector—guarding us from evil.

At the end of Psalm 23, there is a promise for us...

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalms 23:6 NIV

What does it mean that God’s goodness and love will follow us?

It doesn’t mean that life will go according to our plans. It also doesn’t mean life will be free of pain and problems. Psalm 23:4 tells us that we will still have to walk through dark valleys.

Here’s what it does mean: God will always be with us. God will always be good to us. Life may not always be easy, but God promises to always be good.

It also means that nothing can take God’s love from us. God’s love will always be there, just like Paul says in Romans 8:38-39. We don’t have to fear disappointing God or losing Him. He promises never to take His love and goodness away from us.

Because of these truths, the writer of this Psalm says that his desire is to be with God in God’s house forever. We ought to desire the same thing as well. It’s because of God’s goodness and love that we will one day join Him in heaven to be with Him forever.

Take some time today to consider God as your Shepherd, who cares for you and protects you. Thank Him that His goodness and love will never end but will follow you every day of your life.

Someone Greater

There’s a battle happening all around you—a battle for your heart, your mind, and your soul. A battle that’s not only physical, but also spiritual. A battle with literal enemies who impact the seen and unseen world.

John wrote:

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yes, we are in a real battle. 
Yes, we have a real enemy.
Yes, the kingdom of darkness is constantly fighting against the kingdom of light.

But for those who are trusting in the finished work of Christ, greater is the One living inside of us than the one who is living in this world.

We have a real Savior.
This story isn’t close to over.
The kingdom of darkness will never prevail against the kingdom of light.

Our enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. To pervert, manipulate, and confuse; to distract, divide, and disable. 

But God is greater than the doubts that clutter your mind, the enemies that frustrate your plans, the heart-wrenching and even soul-crushing situation that’s currently consuming your thoughts. 

You can fight from a place of victory because the battle has already been won. 

Jesus has already conquered death. And now, while we wait for others to come to salvation and for God to bring all things to completion under Christ’s authority, we can fight with a confident hope.

There’s a battle happening all around you—a battle for your heart, for your mind, for your soul. But greater is the One living inside of you than the one who is living in this world.

Finding Your Purpose

The story of Esther is a powerful testimony.

It tells about Esther, who risked her life in order to save the people of God from danger. Esther faced the decision between what was easy and what was difficult, and she chose the more difficult way because it was the right thing to do.

Esther 4:14 points out that Esther’s purpose in life was tied to this very moment. She was crafted and shaped by God in order to fulfill His purposes in her generation. She was placed in this unique situation by God.

While most of us might not be servants in the house of a king, or a queen, we all have difficult decisions to make. Every day we are faced with situations that have easy answers, and some that are especially challenging.

The story of Esther teaches us that God has gifted each of us for a specific purpose. Even though the journey isn’t always easy, God promises to be with us as we follow the path He’s called us to.

Additionally, Esther did not accomplish her purpose alone. She had the support of her community fasting and praying for her. Similarly, we cannot make it through life alone. We need the support of our community praying for us. And they need us in their lives as well.

Take some time today to think about your own story. How is it similar to Esther’s? Consider the unique purpose that God has created you for. Pray to Him for strength to make the right decisions in life, and to persevere in following where He leads.

God as Your Creator

Have you ever paused to reflect on God as your Creator?

God is unlike any other that is, was, or will be. He alone is able to fully sustain that which He creates. And He alone is able to create—miraculously orchestrating His purposes—merely by speaking it into existence. But there's more…

If you dig even deeper into the pages of Scripture, you learn about this power by which God creates:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him, all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:1-3 

For in him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
Colossians 1:16

The writer of Hebrews assures us that, "By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible" (Hebrews 11:3 NIV).

This "Word" is Jesus Christ, and through Him, God brought everything into existence. The ultimate redemption of all God's promises will come through that same Word—Jesus Christ. 

Reflect on that truth for a moment: The same power that spoke the universe into existence is the same power that will bring about the redemption of all things promised.

Today, take some time to reflect on God’s role as Creator, and allow it to fill you with great hope. Because He's not just any creator; He's your Creator, and He holds the very universe—and your life—in His hands.

Romans 5:1 NASB1995
[1] Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

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