Some of us seek the Lord with our lips rather than the heart. Jesus quoted scripture and said in Matthew 15: 8-9; Mark 7: 6-7 this people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines. Worshiping God from the lips, rather than the heart is of no value or meaning but vain and deceptive of the soul. Since God dwells in the heart, we can only connect with him from his dwelling in us which is the heart. We will not find God in spite of attending church and devotion, etc. if we do so without a true heart.
God rather recognizes what comes from the heart. Jesus said in Matthew 15: 18 what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. Jesus connects our thoughts and actions with the heart from where he will judge us. An empty and defiled heart cannot seek God in worship. John 4: 24 says God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. We can seek only from a heart in truth. Jeremiah 29: 13-14 wrote, when you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes…
Spiritual relevance of the heart
Spiritually, the heart is the seat of all decisions, good or evil. Genesis 6: 5 says the LORD saw… that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. We cannot seek God with a heart of evil but purity. 2Corinthians 5: 10 says for all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
Proverbs 4: 23 says keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. It is the content of the heart that we shall inherit life or death in eternity. Consequently, Paul prayed in 1 Thessalonians 3: 13 may the Lord strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. We must seek God with a strong heart and when it is weak, we must revert to God for strength and holiness.
The heart is God’s dwelling in mankind. Hence he said in Revelation 3: 20listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. Jesus said of the heart in Matthew 6: 21; Luke 12: 34 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The heart tracks all our interests in the soul and body to the knowledge of Christ Jesus for he asked in Matthew 9: 4; Mark 2: 8; Luke 5: 22 “Why do you think evil in your hearts? He asked in Luke 24: 38, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? To seek God with the heart, God wants us to do as follows;
Be holy and keep righteous
To the extent that the heart is the channel by which we seek God, it must be kept holy. Psalms 66: 18 says if I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not hear me. It is a repented heart that will find God when he seeks him. To seek the Lord with the heart Psalms 141: 4 explains, do not turn my heart to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with those who work iniquity; do not let me eat of their delicacies. Seeking the Lord with the heart means to be separated from evil or sin.
Be remorseful and repentant
We must show remorse for our sins. Psalms 51: 17 says the sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. The most effective way of seeking and finding God is maintaining a remorseful heart. David said in Psalms 38: 18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10: 10… one and confesses with the mouth and so is saved. When we seek the Lord truthfully from or with the heart, he will open closed doors for us as the prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the temple he built for God in 2Chronicles 6: 19-40.
Commit to the Lord in truth
We must not seek the Lord with empty talk without commitment. Ezra 10: 11 says now make confession to the LORD the God of your ancestors, and do his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives. We cannot seek God while still living like people of the world do. We must therefore be separated from the world. James 4: 4 says do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. We seek God through commitment to our confession. Accordingly, Hebrews 10: 23 says let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.
Avoid barriers to prayers
When we seek the Lord in sin, he will not show up. Isaiah 59: 1-2 said, see, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Rather, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. When Jesus said in Matthew 7: 7 ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you, he meant we must seek only with the righteousness of the heart and soul, Deuteronomy 4: 29. God responds to our quest for him based on the content of our hearts.
Will we seek the Lord with our hearts sincerely? Isaiah 55: 6 says seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. We sometimes seek the Lord wrongfully either at the wrong places or under wrong conditions or at variance with scripture. While the general principle is that we may seek God at any time and anywhere, such a promise does not negate the fact that it must be done with reverence for his holiness otherwise we will seek him yet not find him. Only lip service falls short of his requirements. A penitent heart is what Jesus wants and will respond to.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, we often pray amiss because we do not seek you with our hearts but emotions. Cleanse our hearts with your precious blood so we may find you when we seek you. Grant us the grace to maintain the holiness of heart by which we may feel your presence in our hearts and souls. We pray in your blessed holy name, Amen!!
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