{"id":24722,"date":"2015-03-04T00:45:05","date_gmt":"2015-03-04T05:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=24722"},"modified":"2015-03-04T06:16:20","modified_gmt":"2015-03-04T11:16:20","slug":"24722","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2015\/03\/04\/24722\/","title":{"rendered":"I Will Seek Your Face"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16629\" src=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv.jpg\" alt=\"psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv\" width=\"341\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv.jpg 341w, https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv-300x175.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 341px) 100vw, 341px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I will seek Your face, O Lord<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I will seek Your face, O Lord<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I will seek Your face, O Lord<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I will seek Your face, O Lord<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Lord, how awesome is Your presence<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Who can stand in Your light<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Those who by Your grace and mercy <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Are made holy in Your sight<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I will dwell in Your presence <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">All the days of my life<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">There to gaze upon Your glory <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">And to worship only You<\/span><\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FKLm_t5Tilw?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Written by Noel and Tricia Richards<br \/>\nPerformed by Brentwood Studio Musicians<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<span style=\"color: #800080;\">* ~ \u2665 ~ <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">\u271e<\/span> ~ \u2665 ~ *<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I was reading a <a href=\"http:\/\/timewarpwife.com\/free-bible-study-ebooks-for-facebook-fans\/\" target=\"_blank\">book<\/a>, and the author put forth the following question&#8230;it&#8217;s a biggie&#8230;ready?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201c&#8230;is there anything that draws you away<br \/>\nfrom your relationship with God,<br \/>\nor distracts you from serving Him?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201c<strong><em>Any<\/em><\/strong>thing&#8230;?\u201d \u00a0I don\u2019t like to admit it&#8230;to you or even to myself, honestly. \u00a0But \u2018<em>yes<\/em>\u2019 is my answer. \u00a0How about you? \u00a0Please take a few moments, right now, and consider this question. \u00a0Perhaps ask God to reveal the truth to you.<\/p>\n<p>As we consider that we allow circumstances and situations to distract us from the One Who we should be seeking, I am sure your heart is saddened as mine is. \u00a0Actually, way more than sad! \u00a0My heart is sorrowful. \u00a0But, rather than just be depressed, my next thought should be (is!) \u201cWhat am I going to do about that!?!\u201d \u00a0Our heavenly Father doesn\u2019t want us remaining in our sorrowful state of mind&#8230;He wants us to mourn our sin (of course), to repent, and CHANGE. And then to live our lives to His honor and glory!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Even now,&#8221; declares the LORD,<br \/>\n&#8220;return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.&#8221;<br \/>\nRend your heart and not your garments.<br \/>\nReturn to the LORD your God,<br \/>\nfor He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love&#8230;.<br \/>\nJoel 2:12 and 13<\/p>\n<p>As we each experience daily, there is much to distract us from focusing on our relationship with our God. From the moment our eyes open each morning, it can be a struggle to maintain the right perspective\u2014God <strong>first<\/strong>. \u00a0But we CAN rise above this challenge and choose where our hearts and minds go. \u00a0For me the impetus must be<strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em> seeking Him<\/em><\/span> above, before, and instead of<\/strong> anything else. \u00a0He comes first&#8212;before anything else. \u00a0And so I need to\u00a0\u00a0intentionally and purposefully <span style=\"color: #800080;\">seek Him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>We have the joy and the privilege of having direct access to His throne of grace! At any time during the day (or night!) we can <span style=\"color: #800080;\">seek<\/span> our heavenly Father\u2014and enjoy quiet time alone with Him. \u00a0David wrote about his \u2018quiet time\u2019 in the following verse. \u00a0Does God hear us expressing our hearts to Him in the same way?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord;<br \/>\nIn the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You<br \/>\nAnd watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].<br \/>\nPsalm 5:3<\/p>\n<p>Now, of course, that time you spend alone with Your Lord\u2014your quiet, devotional time\u2014is certainly not the only time to pray! Actually, I think, being intentional\u2026seeking Him first and foremost\u2026prepares our hearts for the rest of our day to be filled with continual little prayers and petitions directed to our God.<\/p>\n<p>Be encouraged! I am sure that you already seek Him throughout your day&#8230;. \u00a0How often do we go along through our day accomplishing the normal even mundane tasks talking with our Father? \u00a0Or driving (yet again) to school to pickup your children; isn\u2019t that a great time to pray? \u00a0Or waiting for them at dance\/soccer\/baseball practice or music lessons\/cub scout meeting\/awana time\/_______ (you fill in the blank); yet another small amount of time that can be eked out of your day to pray and <span style=\"color: #800080;\">seek Him<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Paul wrote a number of times in his letters to the Christian believers about the importance of praying. \u00a0Listen to this encouragement:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season)<br \/>\nin the Spirit,with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.<br \/>\nTo that end keep alert and watch<br \/>\nwith strong purpose and perseverance,<br \/>\ninterceding in behalf of all the saints (God\u2019s consecrated people).<br \/>\nEphesians 6:18<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks;<br \/>\nfor this is God\u2019s will for you in Christ Jesus.<br \/>\n1 Thessalonians 5:17 and 18<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">So we see by <span style=\"color: #800080;\">seeking God<\/span> first and foremost, by being intentional to have a \u2018quiet time\u2019 early in our day, and seeking Him in our prayers and petitions, we will be better prepared to \u201cpray at all times, and, keep alert and watch, and, pray without ceasing.\u201d \u00a0We will be continually<span style=\"color: #800080;\"> seeking Him<\/span> throughout each day\u2014thus carrying out His will!<\/p>\n<p>Here is a great example of seeking Him:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life],<br \/>\nBeing [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.<br \/>\nColossians 4:2<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Those are some very intentional words (<em>earnest, unwearied, steadfast, alert, intent<\/em>) used in that verse, yes? \u00a0Other versions use similar words: <em>devote, persevere, continue<\/em>\u2026.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything,<br \/>\nbut in every circumstance and in everything,<br \/>\nby prayer and petition (definite requests),<br \/>\nwith thanksgiving,<br \/>\ncontinue to make your wants known to God.<br \/>\nAnd God\u2019s peace [shall be yours, that peace]<br \/>\nwhich transcends all understanding<br \/>\nshall garrison and mount guard<br \/>\nover your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.<br \/>\nPhilippians 4:6 and 7<\/p>\n<p>Keep <span style=\"color: #800080;\">seeking Him<\/span> and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord! As you <span style=\"color: #800080;\">seek Him,<\/span> He will be found\u2026He promises!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Then you will call upon Me, and you will come<br \/>\nand pray to Me,\u00a0and I will hear and heed you.<br \/>\nThen you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]<br \/>\nand find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.<br \/>\nJeremiah 29:12 and 13<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I will seek Your face, O Lord I will seek Your face, O Lord I will seek Your face, O Lord I will seek Your face, O Lord Lord, how awesome is Your presence Who can stand in Your light Those who by Your grace and mercy Are made holy in Your sight I will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":16629,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4937],"tags":[4094,235,1875,349,1287,425,1621,8524,2139,1673,847,4932,5004,8523],"class_list":["post-24722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psalms-hymns-and-spiritual-songs","tag-1-thessalonians-517-18","tag-coleen-hayden","tag-colossians-42","tag-ephesians-618","tag-gch","tag-girlfriends-coffee-hour","tag-jeremiah-2912-13","tag-joel-212-13","tag-lent","tag-philippians-46-7","tag-psalm-53","tag-psalms-hymns-spiritual-songs","tag-seek-him","tag-seek-him-first","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s39pHp-24722","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24722"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24738,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24722\/revisions\/24738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}