What do we approach
God for? In this age of prosperity gospel and sermons prioritising
materialistic blessings, every Christian should ask God this question, what do
we approach God for? Firstly, a disclaimer, I am not against materialistic blessing.
I would be a hypocrite if I seemed to oppose such prayers. However, what is our
priority when we pray? I have heard so many sermons on chalking out a layout
for your dream house or imagining an interview for that dream job. But, how
many preachers dare to stand up and say, we need God and just Him? Very few, I
feel.
A well-known Bible
verse goes like this, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) It is a hard
truth, but yes it is. He wants us to seek Him first and His kingdom. He wants
us to rely only on Him. He wants us to thirst for His presence. When we spend
time in prayer, He wants us to enjoy His presence, acknowledging His love and
faithfulness. Oh, how He loves when we relax in His presence, as a child would
do.
He loves it when
we try to fix our eyes on Him, when it’s dark and stormy outside. He loves it
when we call out to Him from the pit. He loves it when we spend time with Him,
shutting out the world. And won’t you love it if the Creator and the Master
says, “This is my daughter/son, with whom I am pleased.” That would give me joy
beyond the world’s understanding. A verse that I have consistently been
encountering, “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted
among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalms 46:10), has made me
think a lot about stillness lately. How ready are we, to spend time in Him,
without the worries of the world? It’s difficult, I agree. But, it’s worth a
try, being still and knowing He is in perfect control. You and I cannot do it
alone, but only with His help. However, it is important to experience this
stillness with joy.
One of my
favourite Bible verses has been Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree does not
bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the
fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in
the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
And I sincerely hope I am able to embody this joy in my darkest times, so that
the King and my Father looks down at me and says “She is my daughter, with whom
I am pleased.”
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