PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE … by Adéle Jordaan

IN our previous edition, we made some New Testament connections to meditate on in prayer, from our current theme scripture in 2 Chronicles 7:14. We spoke of how we become connected to God’s larger story through our Faith in Jesus Christ alone, and that we now bear the seal of God’s ownership through the blood of Christ and through the Holy Spirit, to the honour of His name.

In this edition we are focussing on the part of the scripture that encourages us to pray and seek God’s face, while turning from our wicked ways.

THE REASON JESUS CAME …

Upon reading the story in 2 Chronicles again, it struck me that God was pleased with Israel’s temple as a place where sacrifices were to be offered. The spirit behind the sacrifices was not that God took pleasure in the blood of bulls and goats. IT WAS A PICTURE of men being made righteous in order that they may approach a Holy God. Therefore the aim of approaching God in the temple was to be made righteous so that there could be a relationship.

Acts 3:26

“God, having raised up His Son, sent him to bless you as you turn,

one by one, from your evil ways.”

Message Translation

The reason Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s servant, was to bless us with the gift of salvation, and at the same time to turn each of us from our wicked ways. No longer is God going to associate with the Israelites exclusively, but now He will associate with everyone that turns, one by one, from their wickedness. This is a new way of gaining access to God’s family. As you open your heart to His goodness, by faith you become a child of God.

It is impossible to seek God’s face and pray, while not yielding His voice of correction. To do so is to approach God as an add-on to the life YOU want to live, while not allowing Him to work in you the life He seeks from you.

For Israel, their wicked ways were characterized by idolatry, greed, and not heeding God’s word of correction as it came to them through the prophets.

Galatians 5: 19 – 21 give us a description of humanness in all its wayward wickedness. Read this prayerfully and allow God to have His way by turning each of us from our own peculiar wickedness, as we pray and seek His glory.

Only God can complete the good work He started in us, but in order for Him to do so, we have to heed his voice of correction.

(Further Reading: Romans 8:5-8; Romans 8:9-16; Hebrews 9)