Prayer for seeking the face of God

Life is made more simple and good
if only we honour what’s right
resisting the battle to flee and to fight
living as only we should.

O God of my best rest, who supplies only what replenishes me, in direct correspondence with my willingness to face truth, even as I seek Your face, knowing I cannot look at You without seeking truth, encourage me now by helping me to dispel anything that denies reality.

Thank You, Lord, that in facing You, in seeking Your face, that You shine Your face on me.

Thank you, also, for showing me the folly of turning away from You, of dissociating from You when I enter temptation for sin.

Thank you that I can only face You when I know I’m right in Your eyes; when I’m seeking Your face.

Help me to recognise when I am turning away from You, and I’m about to enter a great and heinous sin.  Help me to see my shame and guilt that is before me, for what they are and for what they represent, in not being able to face You.  Help me to know that in not facing You I am hiding, and in my hiding, I am sinning not only the against you, but against myself, not to mention others.  Help me to remain convinced that turning away from You only causes harm.  Help me to see that there is no joy, no peace, no hope, no courage, and no freedom in hiding from Your face.

Show me, even as I seek Your face, living out the truth the best I know how in the moment, without needing to hide, that this is the direct path to Your power and to the experience of gratitude.

Show me, even as I embody the truth and the truth embodies me within my mortal being, that such a position of gratitude helps me to say YES to Your leading when I otherwise might shrink, through cowardice or pride or laziness or some other temptation of turning away.

Show me, in this moment afresh, the incredible wisdom in seeking Your face.  Show me that this is how I enter the narrow gate.  Show me how You hide me beneath Your wings when I covet the truth jealously.  And show me how this is the totality of Your will for me — You abiding in me as I abide in You.  Thank you that as I attach to You, I enjoy a Garden-of-Eden experience.

Confirm to me, each waking moment, Lord, of the centrality of truth, and of seeking Your face, and of committing and recommitting to the truth, over and over, and how this is my divine workmanship, my covenant worship, my ascribing to You, Your worth in my life.

Thank you, that as I remain in the truth, that as I reside in the lap of your will, that I’m safe from the designs of the enemy, that there, in seeking Your face, You shine Your face upon me and give me peace.

Thank you in the name of Jesus!

AMEN.

This is a disciple’s prayer that when prayed acknowledges all power comes from God, but only when we humble ourselves to the truth which sees us able to face God.  We can only face God when we know we’re abiding in the truth; otherwise we hide, and in hiding we can have no part in God because we have chosen to separate ourselves from God, not the other way around.  God faces toward us eternally in Jesus.

Photo by Bobby Johnson on Unsplash