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Longing for the Face of The Almighty!

Longing for the Face of The Almighty!

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Here is one of the powerful beatitudes of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount! I do not know which comes first – whether seeking God leads us to purity, or purity in our soul creates the longing to seek God’s face passionately.


Many in the believing world including many teachings today settle for blessings and prosperity but a few long to have an extraordinary and intimate relationship with God seeking His face and longing to be in God’s presence. People can live their lives for years without missing the face of each other but what life would it be without the longing for the face of each other?


When we see the face of someone we love so much, these are the benefits:

·        Relief!

·        Comfort in our soul!

·        Clarity from all our doubts and fears!

·        Learning things anew!


And so is the result of seeking God and seeking His face continuously. Our troubles vanish, our fears are gone, and we are comforted enormously, we learn things we have never learned, and our answers to prayer come speedily.


Revival When We Seek God’s Face!

God created Adam and Eve to walk with Him and fellowship with Him. The time when they both were hiding from God was when they disobeyed and sinned against Him. They could only hear the voice of God and not be able to see Him.  When we do not see God, something is preventing us from doing so, just as we do not want to see those around us when our relationship is at odds with them.


I want to describe an unforgettable and miraculous experience of revival in our overseas ministry a few decades ago. We were invited to minister the Word to a host of ministers from the nations of Singapore and Malaysia during a weekend.  The meetings were held in a resort in Malaysia. The meetings began on a Friday evening and concluded on Sunday afternoon. The leader of the ministries of both nations introduced me to the room filled with pastors of various congregations during the first session on Friday evening with these words: “Brother John, the atmosphere in our nations and among the churches and the ministries is critically bad.  We were led to invite you as God’s servant to heal our nations, starting with the healing of us, the ministers. I want to give you just two minutes, to tell us what we can expect in this weekend’s retreat.”


“2 minutes!”


I was perplexed at the time limit, but I love God for in moments like those, God is ready with the answer.  I pleaded with God to give me just the words for those few minutes to minister to us all.  I heard the prompting of the Holy Spirit commanding me to start sharing a particular Scripture and stop when interrupted.


I stood among them and started quoting II Chronicles 7:14, as I was commanded: “If My people, who are called by My name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek MY FACE…” I was prompted to stop as soon as I finished the above words, and asked them this question, prompted again by the Holy Spirit:


“My fellow servants of God, how many of you can honestly look at the FACE of God and not be ashamed?”


To my shock, no hands went up among the roomful of pastors and leaders. The atmosphere in the room changed quickly and was filled with tears and weeping among all of them.  I had used up only a minute, but I witnessed God taking over the conference to deal with His chosen servants.  The organizer did not want to continue but dismissed them to their assigned rooms.


On Saturday morning, the first session began at 8 AM after breakfast. I stood up again to deliver my message but as soon as I stood up, I was interrupted by two ministers standing up and confessing their sins against one another.  The whole room started crying and weeping before the Lord.  There were spontaneous confessions with repentance heard for two hours.  The morning session ended.


We began the afternoon session at 2 PM after lunch. Once again, I stood up to share the Word of God.  Even before I began speaking, a minister stood up and confessed with tears his pornographic addiction that wrecked his marriage. Spontaneously, others joined him confessing their hidden sins and cried out to God with repentance.  The afternoon session ended without teaching.


The same thing repeated for the evening session and the whole morning session on Sunday. There was not a dry eye in the whole room for three days. Finally, I took the podium in the early afternoon on Sunday. I had shared a single teaching in the entire conference, and once again, at the closing session, I stood to share the Scripture I started the conference with:


“If My people, who are called by My name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek MY FACE…” I stopped and asked them, “My fellow servants of God, how many of you can honestly look at the FACE of God and not be ashamed?”


All the hands went with tears of joy!  There was a revival among the ministries, followed by huge meetings of awakening among the people filling the stadiums and arenas afterward in both countries.  Communities witnessed healings and restorations followed by the healing and restoration of God’s chosen servants.


It had to do with people (God’s servants) willing to look at the face of God and not be ashamed of what they have done.


The fellowship with God was restored among many in those countries that started a couple of decades ago.


Revival begins with us craving for the face of God! When we do, the Holy Spirit brings to our attention what has separated us from God’s face.  Tears of repentance and godly sorrow restore us to the intimate relationship we lost with God.


Great Ones in the Bible Longed for God’s Face!

David: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock…You have said, ‘Seek My face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek’” (Psalm 27:4,5,8). David longed for time in the house of the Lord and thanked God for his protection in times of trouble, whereas God commanded him to seek His face!


Daniel: “Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate” (Daniel 9:17).


Moses: “And He said, ‘My presence (face) will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And (Moses) said to him, ‘If your presence (face) will not go with me, do not bring us up from here’” (Exodus 33:14-15). When Israel sinned, God withdrew Himself from them and offered to send an angel with Moses for their journey, but Moses insisted that he wanted God’s presence (His Face) to go with him, or else, he did not want to travel at all. How many of us, leaders, settle for things, buildings, prosperity, and other things, and have settled for things and not for the intimate fellowship with God?


Jesus was in the intimate presence of the Father before He was revealed as God’s Son: “No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]” (John 1:18, Amplified Bible). God hid His face from Jesus on the cross, or else, He would not have cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me?”


What Does God Demand for Us to be Face to Face with Him?

Righteousness – Right Standing with God: “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness” (Psalm 17:15). David longed to sleep beholding the face of God and wake up in His presence (looking into the face of God)!


Integrity: “But you have upheld me because of my integrity and set me in your presence forever” (Psalm 41:12). Honesty sets us in the presence of God just as honesty builds our relationship with one another.  We avoid people when we are not honest, and so do we with God.


Humility: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (II Chronicles 7:14). There is healing and revival when we seek the face of God and not his arm of strength and blessing.


Clean Hands and A Pure Heart: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully” (Psalm 24:3-4). When we give up vanity, our hearts and hands are clean to worship God and dwell in His holy presence! David longed to see the face of God and to be in God’s holy presence when he repented of his sin: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12).


Truth: “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (Psalm 51:6). We can come face to face with God with truth in our hearts.  King David pleads with God in another Psalm: “Remove from me the way of lying and grant me Your law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me” (Psalm 119:29-30).


Purity: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).


How Does Our Life Change with the Longing of God’s Face?

Here are the descriptions of a Blessed Life in God’s Holy Presence – Face to Face with God!


Trouble Vanishes and Answers Come Speedily: “Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call” (Psalm 102:2). Our troubles flee just as soon as God’s presence fills our hearts!


Deliverance from the Fear of Death: “Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit” (Psalm 143:7). God’s presence lifted me in the hospital at Quito, Ecuador, on October 21, 2023, when I came close to death!


Salvation: “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!... Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!... Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!” (Psalm 80:3,7,19)! Remember your salvation experience because of God’s face shining upon you.  Long more to be in His holy presence.


Love and Faithfulness: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you” (Psalm 89:14). Here is the proof of experiencing the presence of God in our lives – we will be constantly and continuously experiencing God’s love and everlasting faithfulness in the depth of our souls!


Secured Blessing: “The Lord bless you and keep you” (Numbers 6:24). The completion of God’s blessing demands security, and God’s presence guarantees that!


Grace with Clarity: “The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you” (Numbers 6:25). God’s grace is so impacting that it saves us, sustains us in our weaknesses, and empowers us to achieve things we could hardly achieve in our natural strength.  God’s shining face makes us extraordinary with the full impact of God’s grace upon our lives!


Everlasting Peace: “The Lord lift up his countenance (face) upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:26). “Peace is not absence from trouble but the presence of God!” There is everlasting peace with God’s presence no matter the circumstances, perils, dangers, and uncertainties!


The fullness of Joy: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Our path of life is filled with joy and godly pleasures continuously and forevermore!


True Understanding of God’s Word: “Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes” (Psalm 119:135). The Author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit.  When God’s presence fills our lives, the explanation with understanding and clarity of the Scriptures is so obvious that we find them irresistible daily.


Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I love You and adore You and bow down before You.  Thank You for saving me by Your grace through Your Precious Son, Jesus.  Keep me, Lord, in Your presence now and forever.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!  Amen!!”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

John Jeyaseelan

Global Prayer Center | prayer | 701 Bill France Boulevard, Daytona Beach, FL, USA

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