Seeking Gods Face

2 chronicles 7:14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land

This challenged me and made me think – when I pray is it more seeking his hand, asking him to do things for me than seeking his face, - what does seeking his face really mean?

What does it mean to worship God? We can learn a lot about worship simply through relationship with God here is a few keys to opening God's heart through praise and worship.

Some of us see God as a giant Santa Claus. Simply submit our wish list and we'll wake up one morning to find that all is well. Sometimes we fail to realize that relationship is everything. It's the one thing God wants more than anything else. And it's when we take the time to seek God's face - which is simply investing in that ongoing relationship with him - that he extends his hand because his heart is open to hear all we have to say. 

So how do we know if our relationship with God is centered around seeking his face instead of simply his hand? What can we do to make sure our motive is pure as we praise and worship God? 

 

• Spend most of our time with God in praise and worship. Letting God know how much we love and appreciate him never gets old to God. In fact, praise and worship is the key that opens God's heart. 
   
• Come to God just as we are with an open heart. Letting God sees all that is in our heart, good or bad, this lets God know that we value our relationship with him enough to let him see it all and do whatever he needs to do in and through us. 
   
• Look for opportunities to offer God praise and worship in things around us. All we need to do is see a beautiful sunset or one of the many other wonders of nature to offer God praise and thanksgiving for that miraculous blessing. God appreciates a grateful heart. 
   
• Don't be afraid to show God how we truly feel as we worship him. There are those who don't feel comfortable raising their hands or showing any emotion during worship services. Yet those same people can be found at sporting events or concerts whooping, clapping, and hollering as if it really mattered. I'm not saying we have to jump up and down or shout. Simply standing with open hands shows God that our heart is open and we want to feel God's presence. 
   
  And most importantly:
  
• Don't judge, look down on, or criticize someone else because they want to show emotions and energy as they worship. Just because an expression of worship is different than our own, doesn't mean it is inappropriate or wrong. We need to concentrate on worshiping God ourselves so our focus remains on building our own relationship with God.
  

Christian praise and worship can be one of the most powerful ways to help us build our relationship with God. There is nothing better than feeling the love, peace, and acceptance of God's presence all around you.

But remember, like a parent, God is looking for that ongoing relationship. When he sees our open heart and our desire to get to know him for who he is, his heart opens to hear all we have to say. 
 
What a concept! Seeking God's face and then feeling the blessings from his hand.