Quantity/Quality of Prayer --- Wondering Out Loud...Sunday, January 6, 2008

(from the bulletin of the First Christian Reformed Church of Orillia, ON)

Happy new year! To follow-up on my New Year’s Eve message, I’d like to ask you: how have you resolved to connect with God more this year? The quantity of prayer is important, but the quality of our prayers is, too...in this article Pastor Rick Ezell helps us to discern the difference:

"My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek" (Psalm 27:8 NIV).

Have you heard people pray? The next time someone prays, listen closely to his or her words. Keep track of what they say. Or better yet, consider what your are saying in your prayers. See how often you pray for God's blessings, God's protection, God's healing, God's providence, God's power, and God's help. Then, see how often you praise God for his presence, his glory, his character, and his nature.

You see, the first type of prayer is, in biblical terminology, a prayer for God's hand. The second type is a prayer for God's face. When we seek God's hand, we are asking for what God can do for us. When we seek God's face, we are requesting his presence. Check out most hymns and most praise songs. Generally speaking, most hymns are primarily songs sung about God, while praise songs are sung to God. See the difference.

Pray like the Psalmist prayed: "Your face, Lord, I will seek" (Psalm 27:8 NIV). Not his hand, but his face. Let's not always seek what God can do for us, but seek God --- his presence, his person. See the difference.

When I seek God's face, I seek God. I seek a relationship with him alone. I know that if all I had was a relationship with God through his Son, Jesus, that would be enough. Regardless of prosperity, power, or prestige, I would have his presence and that would be enough.
Baptist pastor Peter Lord said, "If we only seek God for what he can do for us, rather than seeking him for him, we are spiritual idolaters."

Today, I will seek God's face, his presence. And, that will be enough.

(From Rick Ezell’s One Minute Uplift, October 10, 2007...www.rickezell.net)