There are many things that can come to our mind when asked that question. As we reflect on our prayer times and our often “laundry list” of requests, if we were to narrow it down to one request, what would that be?
I am truly inspired by David’s answer to that question. In Psalms 27:4, he wrote, “One thing I ask from the Lord. This only do I seek; that I will dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His Temple.”
David, a humble shepherd who would become the second King of Israel. However, was that what he prayed for? Was that his ambition?
No. The one thing he asked for, the one thing that he would seek after with all his heart, was to know God. To experience His presence in a real and tangible way throughout his day. This was number one on his list.
That is why God called him a “man after My own heart.” We live in a busy world with so many things tugging at us for our time and our attention. There is work and our families, our children, and even our ministries. We can sometimes get so caught up in doing things for the Lord that we forget that the thing that is dearest to Him is found as we seek Him to open our heart to know Him better, to gaze at His beauty, and to get glimpses of how marvelous and beautiful He is.
God has very much impressed on me the importance of taking time to show Him that He is your first love by spending quality time set aside just for Him!! And to come to the realization that the more you seek Him, the more His tangible presence becomes a reality in your life and the very center of all you do. One of my favorite ways to seek the Lord is through worship.
And as I lift my heart to worship Him, I get glimpses of His beauty and His tender, compassionate love for me. It makes me cry; I want to dance and shout out His name, and I do just that in my living room. I turn on my favorite worship songs, and I spend precious time with Jesus.
There are many ways we can seek our Lord through reading His word, through prayer, as well as through worship. All of these things will draw us closer to Him and give us glimpses into His beauty and a realization of His great love for us, and ultimately open our heart to love Him more and seek Him with every ounce of our being!
So each day as we awaken, let our prayer be that God would say of us, “Now there is a man or woman after My own heart,” as we daily devote our precious time to worship Him and pray to Him and to meditate on His words (Jeremiah 29:11-13): “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”