15 March 2023 - Revival - Seek the face of God and turn from their wicked ways

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) if My people who are called by My name will 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.

To seek something is to crave after it. We seek God through prayer. God wants us to seek His face because He wants to be known by us.

To seek God’s face is to seek a deeper relationship with Him. This is done not only through prayer but also through worship. Those who seek the face of God will not be disappointed.

The Hebrew word for face in the Old Testament has often been translated as presence. When we seek the face of God, we seek His presence.

Psalm 105:4 (ESV) Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! James 4:8 (NLT) Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Psalm 24:3–6 (ESV) 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. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

The true nature of worship is to seek God’s face. To seek God’s face means to desire to know His character and to want Him, His presence, more than any other thing He can give us.

Deuteronomy 4:29 (NLT) But from there you will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.

Acts 17:27 (NLT) “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) if My people who are called by My name will 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.

Wickedness: A quality, state or condition that does not conform to God’s standard of moral excellence is wicked, bad, evil, or worthless.

This requirement is straightforward; people must repent of their sin and change their behaviour.

Sin separated us all from God and our sins have caused God to hide His face from us, so He does not hear us. But the good news is that the hand of the Lord is not too short that it cannot save us.

How is this possible? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.