1 Chronicles 16:11 say’s “Seek the Lord and his strength.  Seek his face forever more!  Remember His marvelous works which He has done”.

Although seeking God requires time and effort, it is worth every minute spent doing it.  In spite of the fact that we should seek God just for who he is, I found as the Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, God truly is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. From the time I committed to a serious relationship with God about 10 years ago,  I developed a habit of setting time aside to seek God on a daily basis.  As a new Christian at the time, I just did this based on advice given to me by my sister’s husband.  I had no idea what great benefits would come out of this habit and because of it God has blessed me in so many ways.

A few years ago at one of our annual conferences, I remember Reverend Que English praying for me and prophesying that God would prosper me as a by-product of my relationship with him. Over the years I have come to understand the reality of what this means. I have found that whenever I take time out to spend time with God, even if it is just for as little as 30 minutes, I come out feeling better and happier than before because of the warmth and love from God that I receive in his presence. Also spending time with God helps me to put whatever I am dealing with into the right perspective and therefore helps me handle the affairs of my life better than I would otherwise have been able to. Things just fall into place when I seek God.

Taking time in God’s presence gives me the strength to handle difficult situations that I sometimes face in the journey of life.  It has also impacted my family life positively as it helps me be a better mother.  It enables me to apply the wisdom gained from God’s word as well as the teachings we get in Church. I have noticed at work when I regularly seek God during my lunch breaks, my energy is such that I am able to still be effective in the afternoon, when I would otherwise have been worn out and not been able to function effectively and give my best to clients. I especially noticed that spending time with God in devotion first thing in the morning helps the day to go so much better because prayer changes situations (James 5:16). Praying and spending time in God’s presence changes me, it empowers and equips me to be more like who God wants me to be. In his presence God starts to reveal truths about myself to me and the areas in my life where I need to change (2 Corinthians 3:18).

I started my journey of learning how to spend time in devotion with God at a time in my life when I was at rock bottom.  I gradually started with just about 15 -20 minutes.  I would go to God pour out my heart to him and God would always meet me where I was at.  I would find that by the time I was ready to leave, I felt connected to God, because he would put songs in my spirit that would lead me into worship. I would hear his still small voice while in worship, which would lead me into praying about whatever God had put on my heart to pray about.  He would also show me scriptures in His Word that would back up what he had been speaking to me and the scriptures would just leap out of the pages as though they were written there just for me and would address whatever I was going through at that particular time.

Spending time in God’s presence became so fulfilling and rewarding and I found myself staying longer and longer, which has caused Him to become more and more real to me. I really enjoy releasing my faith and seeing him at work in every area of my life. I believe that in addition to the teaching and guidance we are given in church from our Pastors, developing a personal relationship with God (as our Pastors have always encouraged us to do) through spending regular time to seek him keeps me passionate about him.   I believe regularly seeking God’s face keeps our walk with God fresh and meaningful, prevents us being lukewarm and takes away any feelings of monotony. Through seeking God, I have discovered God’s purpose for my life and that he has called me to be a Counselor.  This has enabled me to start working towards this when most of my life I had been studying without really knowing what specifically I was supposed to be studying for, and therefore my job was not as fulfilling as I knew it could be. Seeking God has helped me in choosing the right school for my younger daughter.  The school I chose for her fit all the criteria I wanted in a school but I was reluctant because of the area it was located in.  However I chose it because I felt God’s voice telling me “don’t be put off by the area”.  I later found out it was a very good school with high standards and my daughter is very happy there.

There are a lot of things that God reveals to me while seeking him that enables me to pray effectively concerning the safety and protection of myself, my family and others. God wants us to come to him in a childlike attitude and be trusting, honest and open with him.  As I spend time with God in worship, prayer and his word he changes me and my situations.  There is nothing like laying in God’s presence and allowing his love to wash over you like a river. This has helped restore my emotions and make me dependent on Him in every area of my life.

The following are just a few of the benefits I have discovered from seeking God:

• He renews our strength.  Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like an eagle (Isaiah 40v31).
• He brings great blessings.  God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11v6).
• Making seeking God a priority brings order in the affairs of life.  Seek First the kingdom of God (Matthew 6v33).
• He provides answers to difficult and perplexing situations.  You will find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29v13).
• Quietness and stillness before God helps to make it easier to hear God’s voice, and gives us guidance, direction and peace in this chaotic world.
• God reveals things that one would otherwise not be aware of whilst seeking him.

My love for God and determination to be all He wants me to be keeps me continually seeking after God (Philippians 1v6). I Praise God for his faithfulness.

Bukola James