(If you missed the last post, read “Man Hosting God” here.)
I am sure as children of God we all harbour the desire to see our churches, cities and nations soaked with God’s glory. God’s presence and glory inhabits in the praises of His people, but how will our cities experience the glory of God, when our worship doesn’t reach up to Him?
The secret to pleasing God is living a lifestyle of worship where you are in an unbroken communion with the Holy Spirit.
This continual communion with God is only possible when you keep God before you.
Always.
Two Hurdles to Pursuing God
In Matthew 13:11-15 Jesus tells the disciples that the secrets to the Kingdom of heaven has been given to them and not to others. He says: But to you there’s a deeper secret. A little more than what the others can understand. Others don’t understand because their hearts are dull; because their hearts are cold they can’t receive.
Again, the Word of God says in Hebrews 3:12-13, “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
There are two things that can stop you from pursuing God and keeping Him before you:
1. An evil heart
2. An unbelieving heart
Both can make you fall away from God.
An evil heart is one that is living in sin intentionally and is selfishly motivated. As humans, we all have weaknesses. Yet there are some hearts that sin intentionally or pursue sin without repentance and thereby defy God.
An unbelieving heart is a heart that doesn’t believe the things of God.
Both an evil and unbelieving heart can cause your heart to consequently become hardened like a stone. There’s no faith left in your heart because your heart is hardened with all kinds of sin and you are trapped in sin’s deceitfulness. This further makes you completely insensitive to the nudging of the Holy Spirit.
The opposite of an evil, unbelieving and hardened heart is a heart that is quick to repent and is humble enough to believe God. When you are a man after God’s own heart, you will have both – a repented heart and a believing spirit. The Lord says to people with a tender heart, “I will cause My presence to come with you”.
Remember it takes humility to expose the sins of your heart and God can only work with people that are humble enough to own up their mess and weep over it, instead of covering it.
A Tender Heart is What God Wants
A tender heart is a heart that God can work with. So, tell God your flaws and weaknesses. [tweet this] Not that He doesn’t know, but the more you expose your weaknesses to Him, the more you allow God’s grace to work in your lives. The Bible says, He is yet to deny a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
And encourage each other
1. So you don’t continue in sin
2. So that you believe and faith may rise up in you.
Set The Lord Before You
I like what David writes in Psalm 16:8, “I have set the Lord ALWAYS before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”
God was the focus of David’s life not on some days but always. Sadly some people are too busy to host God, albeit only on a Sunday.
It’s impossible for you to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit if your heart is far from Him. [tweet this] For your heart to tap into the voice of God, you need to continually host His presence and be in tune with Him. [tweet this]Like David, let’s keep God before us everyday and let’s keep that set! Let’s seek Him first in all that we do.
If you live your life through the eyes of Jesus, you will host God like never before. [tweet this] No miracle, no breakthrough, no deliverance, no victory will then be a struggle for you.
God Conscious Believer
God is looking for a God conscious believer – someone He can constantly download His secrets to. You may be surrounded by people, and yet your heart must be focused on your Master’s whispers. Then your family and friends will begin to notice, “There’s something different in this house” and you will know “yes I’ve been keeping The Lord before me.”
The Bible says His delight is in those who delight in Him. Again, coming back to King David – he was the best example of this. David’s greatest excitement and motivation was to please God. His attitude was – It doesn’t matter what the cost, there will be nothing in between me and God, I will keep Him before me.
In conclusion, take a minute to review your heart. Has it become hardened and insensitive to the Word of God? Have you intentionally left a door in your heart open for sin to take over?
Pray with me: God, I want a childlike heart. Like David, I will continually put You before me. There will be no sin I will enjoy; that I will continually live with. I desire to host Your presence.
Ablaze Canada. 6th December, 2014. If you are around, don’t miss. Please help us share the word around.