Seeking God’s Face in Prayer (1)

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January 25, 2016 10:10 AM

‘Thy face, Lord, will I seek.’

Memory Verse: Psalm 26:8 "My heart says of you, “Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek."

The Word for Today devotional by United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) says:

We get a remarkable picture of what can happen in prayer when we watch a parent and a little child.

Imagine a one-year-old who looks at you and holds his gaze. You’re charmed. He looks shyly at first, tilting his head away and looking out of the corner of his eye. You do the same. It’s fun. He turns his face to look directly at you. You mirror the turn. Then there’s a sudden noise behind him, and he looks startled – you mirror his surprised look. He’s so startled that he’s getting ready to cry, so you shift to a smile. He does the same, and he’s soon gurgling with joy.

READ: Look for things to be grateful for

When a child makes eye contact like this, when someone lets him know that they understand what he’s feeling, his brain and nervous system make crucial connections inside his body. He is experiencing what’s called ‘neural integration’. By playing the face game, you’re literally giving the child peace. It heals him. He finds delight in your presence. And prayer works like that too.

In the Old Testament God instructed Moses to give the Israelites the following blessing: ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace’ (Numbers 6:24-26 NIV 2011 Edition).

In prayer we speak about ‘seeking God’s face’. That means sometimes prayer is about speaking, other times it’s about listening. But there’s a third ingredient. It’s the security that comes from sensing God’s smile of love and approval.

Bible in a Year: Luke 1; 57-80 ; Psalms 10-12

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