Seeking the Gift Giver

I’ve been very convicted in my heart lately, especially in my prayer time, that I need to spend more time focusing on who God is rather than the gifts He gives. Let me explain…

Grateful For the Blessings

In my prayers, I make a conscious effort to express gratefulness to God for the blessings in my life, for his provision, and the comfort, strength, peace, etc. that he provides. I’ll then bring my requests, my needs, and the needs of others before him, asking for his hand to be over all these things. So, I’ll ask you…is there anything wrong with how I am spending my time talking to God? No, there’s nothing wrong with how I am praying…I’m bringing my heart to the Lord in gratitude and in presenting my needs and desires. Paul tells the Philippian church to pray this way.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Philippians 4:6

Focusing on the Gift Giver

As I said, there’s nothing wrong with my prayers. But…I’ve been feeling like I’m missing something, and the conviction in my heart tells me that I’m missing something hugely important. I’m thanking God for the things he does and the things he gives, and I’m asking for him to do and give more things. What I’m missing is thankfulness and praise for who God is and asking him to make me more like him in character and deed.

So, for the past month or so, I’ve started spending time praising God and thanking him for who he is, focusing on the giver of all gifts, the giver of life and love and joy and peace. I love just being in His presence and just sitting with him in the quiet of the morning, enjoying the connection of my heart to the heart of my Father. Just spending time with him because I love him and desire to know him more fully.

This is what I have been missing! Seeking the gift giver, not just the gifts. I haven’t stopped thanking God for what he does in my life and the blessings he gives or asking for what I need & want. I have added to my time with him, and I truly believe this is what God desires.

As a parent, I don’t mind when my kids ask me for things, and it’s great when they express gratitude. But…it’s also so incredibly amazing when they just want to spend time with me for no reason other than they love me and enjoy my company. And I think it’s the same with God. We are his kids and sometimes, he just wants us to come to him for no reason –> just because we love him.

David was so good at this –> praising God for who he is. David was said to be a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) and there are so many examples in the Psalms of David singing of God’s greatness, of seeking God just to be in his presence as shown in this passage of Psalm 63.

I love this! There is a place in all of our hearts that only God can fill, and his presence satisfies better than anything we can have on this earth.

Examining Our Hearts

There are some questions we need to ask ourselves… If I never receive any more gifts, blessings, or answered prayers from God, would I still love who he is? Would I still seek after a relationship with him? Is God more of a “genie in a bottle” or a “vending machine” to us? Or is he our Father whom we love despite what we do or don’t receive from Him?

I hope and pray that I can continue to seek after God’s heart and be thankful for the blessings and all the good gifts he gives.

In Christ,