As Christians, we are told to seek the Lord. The phrase is repeated over and over in God’s Word in many different ways. We know it is true, but it feels like something too ideal to accomplish, something religious.
Imagine my surprise when I found the phrase walked out in the Old Testament in the lives of the kings of Judah! There is actually practical advice about how to prepare your heart to seek the Lord!
Seek The Lord Bible Verses
First, before we dig into the practical application of how to seek the Lord, we need a review.
What does the Bible say about seeking the Lord?
- Seek the Lord while He is near.
- Seek the Lord while he may be found.
- In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord
- seek ye first the kingdom of God.
- Cry out to the Lord (Psalm 142).
- Seek the Lord with all of your heart.
- Diligently seek the Lord (Proverbs 8:17).
- Seek the Lord early in the morning.
Old Testament Scripture About Seeking the Lord
While this is not all the Scripture about seeking the Lord, these are the ones we memorize in Sunday School. They stick with us long into life and prompt our hearts toward Jesus Christ!
“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29 NASB)
“But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: …but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 NASB)
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NASB)
Psalms and Proverbs That Say Seek God
“I love those who love me;
And those who diligently seek me will find me.” (Proverbs 8:17 NASB)
What is Proverbs 8:17 about?
This verse is a call to seek wisdom which we understand to be a characteristic of God. There is debate as to whether Solomon was referring prophetically to the Holy Spirit or Jesus, but I’m not sure if that matters. We will know on the other side.
For now we see that we are to seek the Lord desperately. If we do not have Him, His guidance, His strength, we can do nothing of worth in our life or for the Kingdom of God.
“I cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I implore the Lord for compassion.” (Psalm 142 NASB)
Psalm 142 is a Psalm of David. David is a great character study for how to seek the Lord in our daily life. But we will get into that in a moment!
New Testament Seek The Lord Verses
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NASB)
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 NASB)
“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB)
What Does It Mean to Seek the Lord?
The phrase feels too vague, too high, and lofty. What does it mean to seek the Lord? I mean it’s one thing to know He says seek me early (KJV) but how do you accomplish the thing?
I used to think seeking the Lord meant reading your Bible, praying, and going to church.
But there are promises attached to seeking God that I was not seeing manifested in my life while I was doing all those things. Experience tells me that there are more steps to seeking God than following the religious practices of our age.
Will you walk through this short Bible study with me on the books of Chronicles to understand better how to seek God?
30 Steps To Seek God: The Good Kings of Judah in 2 Chronicles
First, know that we could spend a lifetime just studying the lives of King David and his son, King Solomon.
These were the first two good kings of Israel. In fact, all the kings who followed David were compared to David. That is how good a king he was, David set the standard.
King David was a man of prayer and praise as well as a man of solitude and action. His life is the perfect template to study the steps to seeking God. However, he is just one man. It’s too easy to discount the characteristics we see in David’s life unless we see them elsewhere.
Prepare Your Heart To Seek The Lord While He May Still Be Found! Share on XThe Kingdom of Israel and David’s Son Was Divided
A little back story to help us better understand 2 Chronicles.
David was the greatest king Israel had, but he was far from perfect. Fatherhood was an area where David failed. His children were a hot mess of family drama. He didn’t raise them to follow the Lord it would seem and as a result, his successor, Solomon did not have a solid faith.
Solomon was a good king, but he allowed the faith of his wives to corrupt his heart and the kingdom of Israel. As a consequence of some of his foolish choices, God separated the kingdom into two kingdoms.
- The Kingdom of Israel had 10 tribes but was ruled by mostly evil kings.
- The Kingdom of Judah had 2 tribes and was ruled by a mixture of good and evil kings.
When there was a good king, he was called a son of David and was compared to David. When there was an evil king, he was said not compared to David.
After King Ahab ruled as the most evil king (the most unrighteous man), all evil kings that followed were compared to him.
More Than 10 Ways To Seek God
We began this study by asking a question. How do you diligently seek the Lord?
Throughout the life of these 5 kings of Judah, we saw way more than 10 ways to seek God… 30 ways to seek the Lord, in fact. With each king, we were able to look deeper and deeper into the heart of God for us in this calling.
Let’s review for a moment:
King Rehoboam
In the life of King Rehoboam, we saw how the Spiritual Leaders were able to influence the king and kingdom when they stayed seeking God the Father.
- Spiritual Leaders Set Their Hearts To Seek the Lord
- Know in advance that Seeking The Lord Is Counter-Cultural
- Believe that just a Few Godly Believers Can Shift the Culture
- Understand that We All Leave A Legacy
- All believers must prepare their heart to seek the Lord – not just leaders.
King Asa
Throughout the life of King Asa we saw that obedience leads us nearer to the Lord. To seek the Lord, we must obey Him no matter how many are against us.
- To Seek the Lord You Must Remove Evil
- Expect that Testing Follows Obedience
- Prayer Is How You Seek the Lord In Trials!
- The Perseverance of Man Brings Blessing As You Seek The Lord
- Respond in Obedience to The Instruction of God to Seek the Lord
- Stay Consistent in Seeking the Lord
King Jehoshaphat
With King Jehoshaphat we see a shift from obedience to delight. This king loved the Lord with all his heart, obedience was not hard for him. He sought the Lord first and was able to lead all of Judah closer to Him because of that great love!
- Delight In the Lord to seek Him
- Know that Leaders Are Held to A Higher Standard when they seek Him
- Leaders who seek the Lord, Call Other Leaders Up
- Leaders Prepare the People to Seek the Lord
- A Repentant Heart is Proof of Seeking the Lord
- Humility Shows a Heart Seeking God
- Fasting Is a Way To Seek the Lord In the Days Of Trouble
- A Heart seeking the Lord is prepared to listen to God’s answer
- A Heart Seeking God Longs to Delight the Lord
King Hezekiah
King Hezekiah also loved the Lord dearly. He built on the legacy of King Jehoshaphat in that way. When we see the way he tenderly cared for his people we are moved deeply! Through his love of God and Judah he brought back true worship like few other kings since David.
- When you seek the Lord, you call others back to worship the Lord
- Returning To God’s Ways Shows A Heart Prepared to Seek Him
- A heart seeking God intercedes for others
- The Joy of The Lord Rests on Hearts Prepared To Seek Him.
- A Heart Prepared to seek the Lord Remembers To Look To God’s Strength
- Prayer and Faith Bring Victory for Those Seeking the Lord
King Josiah
As we looked at the lif of King Josiah we were impressed with his dedication to the ways of God even before he fully knew the Lord. This king showed a heart tender to the moving of the Holy Spirit like no other king. It reminds us to be soft hearted and willing to move with the hand of God no matter what is happening all around our lives.
- When you seek the Lord, your heart is Tender
- A Tender Heart Toward God’s Words comes with seeking the Lord
- Seeking the Lord causes a tender heart to seek out more of God’s Words
- A Heart That Seeks the Lord Calls Others Toward God’s Word
A 5-Day Study of 2 Chronicles
I’ve wrestled with how to share this word from the Lord about seeking Him. There is too much for 1 article… yet I could not separate it.
So, let this be a devotional, instead of the article that never ends. Each king has so much to share with us. So, to get the most out of this topic, treat each section as a day’s Bible study.
How To Use This 5 Day Bible Study on 2 Chronicles
- Bookmark this page.
- Start in your Bible
- Start your time in your Bible by reading the passage from start to finish. I’ll note where they begin and end in 2 Chronicles.
- Come back to this page each day.
- After you read the Bible, come back to this devotional page and click on the king from the table of contents.
- Use a Journal
- I will highlight ways they sought the Lord and have questions to prompt us to think about how to apply the lessons learned.
- Pray for God to change you!
- Be sure to take notes and pray through the sections!
I can’t wait to hear what the Lord teaches you!
Day 1: King Rehoboam
The life of King Rehoboam is told from 2 Chronicles 10 through the end of 2 Chronicles 12.
Open your Bible and read that passage before you come to read over the devotional.
1. The Spiritual Leaders Set Their Hearts To Seek the Lord
As the whole Kingdom of Israel was split into the small Kingdom of Judah and the larger Kingdom of Israel (which gets confusing at times) the people faced a conflict.
Their Heavenly Father clearly taught that an heir of David would rule the people of Israel forever. The long-awaited Messiah would be born through the lineage of David. What were they to do?
Ten tribes followed a king who was not the direct descendant of David. The remaining two followed Rehoboam, who though a descendant of David was clearly starting as an evil king.
A conflict arose among the religious leaders.
Do we follow the people or do we follow God’s direction?
2. Seeking The Lord Is Counter-Cultural
“Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.” (2 Chronicles 11:16 NASB)
The Spiritual leaders of Israel followed the Lord’s command.
This small group of people was dedicated to seeking the Lord… even when the majority of the culture around them was seeking comfort and relief from evil rule.
Both kings who split the kingdom were evil, however, these Spiritual Leaders influenced King Rehoboam for a few years. There was a blessing over the Kingdom of Judah because they followed the Word of the Lord!
What would happen to this world if we were seeking the Lord more?
Related Post: 14 Characteristics of a Godly Wife That Will Save Your Marriage
3. A Few Godly Believers Can Shift the Culture
While these leaders led from the temple, they helped guide the new king.
- Because they were faithful, the king avoided a war that would have set Judah against Israel!
- Through their council, the king did better raising his children than David or his son Solomon.
It only takes a few godly believers to shift the culture.
We sit at a similar crossroads in the Western world today. Most of the culture has turned toward what seems easier and more comfortable. They have turned away from the Lord to seek those things that satisfy the flesh.
We have to choose.
Will we continue to go against the current of cultural choices?
Or, will we continue to follow the ways of God when it is not popular?
4. We All Leave A Legacy: He Did Not Seek the Lord
King Rehoboam left a legacy as the first king who did evil in the line of David.
“But he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 12:14 NASB)
What a legacy.
We all leave a legacy though. What will yours be?
Will you be the person who follows their heart… leading their family further and further from the truths of God’s Word?
Or will you be the person who sets their heart to seek the Lord? The person who went against the culture. The person who desperately sought the ways of God until they understood how to walk in a way that pleased Him alone.
That’s who I want to be!
5. Set His Heart To Seek the Lord
Notice, however, that the phrase here isn’t that they sought God. Now, it is that they prepared their heart to seek God.
How do I seek the Lord… actually seek Him? How do I prepare my heart to seek Him?
It has to do with what I do before I need to seek Him. It has to do with my heart and desires.
Is my heart prepared to seek Jesus?
We see a bit of this in the leaders who refused to go with the 10 tribes of Israel. They were prepared to lose everything, prepared to give up comfort and familiarity, home, family, and friends.
They would give everything up just to seek the Lord… but that was not a decision they made in that moment. It had to have been something they chose well beforehand.
What does that look like?
We will see as we go forward.
Day 2: King Asa
The life of King Asa is found in 2 Chronicles 14 through 2 Chronicles 16.
Take a moment and read those chapters before you start the devotional.
6. To Seek the Lord You Must Remove Evil Like King Asa
King Asa was the next king who was good. It is said that he not only prepared his heart to seek the Lord, but he commanded the Kingdom of Judah to do so as well.
“and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to comply with the Law and the commandment.” (2 Chronicles 14:4 NASB)
Immediately in the reign of King Asa, we see him direct the people to worship God. He doesn’t just stop there, however. The King removes the sacred pillar and high places making it difficult to worship idols.
Blessings Follow Removing Evil From A Nation
The Lord blessed Judah under the reign of this good king.
There was rest from oppression and war for a season because the king followed God’s commands and led his people to seek the Lord!
- He built cities and walls. He secured the land. There was prosperity!
Blessings follow after those who prepare their heart to seek the Lord!
Blessings follow when we remove the evil things and practices from our lives, our homes, our cities, and our nation.
We need this desperately!
What evil things do you need to remove from your life; from the things your heart desires, from your home life, from your entertainment, from your mind…
7. Testing Follows Obedience
Testing stands out as we examine the lives of the good kings of Judah. Each king who sought God was tested. It was as if the Lord said, “So you will seek ME when life is good, will you seek ME when times are hard?”
Of course, that is my interpretation and not a direct Scriptural quote. However, each king was tested.
War came while King Asa ruled. An army of a million men – 1,000,000 men – set out in battle array against Judah (2 Chronicles 14:9-10).
Israel had never faced an army that size, even when there were 12 tribes. Now this army faces 2 tribes.
That is a kind of testing where you can’t pass alone. Right?
8. Prayer Is How You Seek the Lord In Trials!
Asa responded with prayer. Not just prayer though, but with desperate prayer. Asa relied on the Lord.
“Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; help us, Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You.” (2 Chronicles 14:11 NASB)
And the Lord fought the battle.
No, actually, YHWY dominated the battle. That army was broken as they fled from the hand of God.
Related Post: Powerful War Room Prayers for Spiritual Battle
Do You Need God To Fight Your Battle?
Who else needs the Lord to fight your battles?
Related Post: God Will Fight for You: Be Still My Anxious Mind
Who else is facing an enemy, larger than you have ever seen or could begin to imagine? An impossible situation such that if God doesn’t step in… who knows where it will lead…
- Sometimes those situations are a direct result of our mess, consequences if you will.
- Other times, those situations may be God testing your resolve to seek Him.
I’ve heard people say they can’t hear from God in the trials and others say, “The teacher is always silent during a test.”
I DISAGREE COMPLETELY!
God is not a teacher in that way! He is our Shepherd, our Defender, our Deliverer.
Let’s be like King Asa and keep pressing in through prayer until God comes to fight the battle! Until God answers the cry of desperation.
This is NOT the only time God shows up in Scripture to dominate in battle for His children.
You are not the exception, the only person He will not fight for.
Keep praying!
Pray desperately.
Pray strategically, effectively, and continually!
Related Post: How To Keep Trusting God When It Looks Impossible
9. The Perseverance of Man Brings Blessing As You Seek The Lord
This good king passed the test by continuing to seek the Lord through the trial rather than relying on himself, his army, his chariots, or his allies. He sought the Lord.
Then God spoke to Asa. Blessing!
He warns Asa about how to continue in blessing. More blessing!
“…And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.” (2 Chronicles 15:2 NASB)
God also gave Asa clear instructions about how to change the direction of the nation. More blessing!
- Seek Him.
- Do not turn away from Him.
- Teaching priests are needed.
- The law must be taught.
- Create a culture of peace.
- Work hard.
10. Respond in Obedience to The Instruction of God to Seek the Lord
After the Lord spoke, Asa obeyed. Through the leadership and obedience of one man, Juday followed hard after God.
“They entered into the covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul;” (2 Chronicles 15:12 NASB)
The entire nation sought the Lord – with all their hearts!
When we are obedient to the clear Word of God, real change can come.
We need this kind of change!
11. Stay Consistent in Seeking the Lord
Now, King Asa was not perfect and at the end of his life, he did not seek the Lord about an issue in his health. God took that seriously and sent a prophet to correct him.
We see that the king has become proud and turned from the Lord in the way he treated the prophet of the Lord.
He was warned that because the king did not seek HIM about this issue, war would come back to the land. He responded by throwing the prophet into prison.
This is in contrast to when God sent a prophet to confront King David over an area of sin. David repented and humbled himself. King Asa did not.
We Must Remain Faithful Throughout Our Lives.
We must be determined to fight off pride and self-sufficiency.
Somehow we must learn how to live in the blessing of the Lord without taking credit for the blessing or becoming lazy in our faith walk.
Pride and apathy lead us away from seeking Him.
O Lord, help us fight against those things and remain faithful to you our whole life long.
Day 3: King Jehoshaphat
King Jehoshaphat’s life is found from 2 Chronicles 17 through the end of 2 Chronicles 20.
Open your Bible and read that passage before you come to read over the devotional.
12. Delight In the Lord
King Jehoshaphat may be my favorite king of Judah. He built on the work King Asa did at the beginning of His reign.
“Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat… And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord…” (2 Chronicles 17:3-6 NKJV)
The Lord was with Him and we see that in the way He is described.
- He did not seek idols.
- Walked in the law of God.
- Set up defenses.
- His heart delighted in the ways of the Lord.
- Removed the high places and images from Judah.
This was a king who loved God and showed that love actively. He delighted in the Lord.
What a thing to be known for!
13. Know that Leaders Are Held to A Higher Standard
The Lord established the kingdom of Judah under Jehoshaphat’s rule.
Isn’t it interesting that God’s blessing over the land depends on the leader? If the leader was good the hand of the Lord was with the land. If the leader was evil, HIS hand of blessing was removed.
It would seem the Lord holds those in authority to a higher standard.
We see that God has a clear hierarchy of authority… maybe that’s the wrong word.
- He has set an order to everything. in the home, the husband bears the responsibility of authority for example (1 Corinthians 11:3).
- Even from the time of Adam and Eve, God held Adam responsible for the original sin even though Eve clearly ate the fruit first (Romans 5:12).
Anyway, we see Jesus talk about leaders who lead others astray (Matthew 18:6).
And we see examples throughout Scripture of Priests and Prophets being under greater scrutiny… I am reminded of the Prophet eaten by a lion for stopping to have dinner with someone against God’s direction (1 Kings 13:11-34).
Why Does This Matter?
Why does this matter when discussing seeking the Lord?
Leaders who do not seek God, who do not prepare their hearts to seek Him, lead others away from the Lord far easier than any other influence.
In the same way, leaders who do set their hearts to seek the Lord have a greater opportunity to help steer the nations back toward the Lord.
But beware if God has called you to a position of authority… husbands, parents, bosses, ministry leaders, worship leaders, teachers, preachers, government leaders… it is even more important for you to get this right.
You can set the tone for those under you, generations could be affected for good or bad.
Consider that carefully.
14. Leaders Call Other Leaders Up
“he sent leaders to teach in the cities of Judah. Levites… the priests… So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people. And the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdom…” (2 Chronicles 17:7-10 NKJV)
Leaders lead. As King Jehoshaphat led the people, he knew he needed more leaders who delighted in the Lord. He could not reach every person. So he called up leaders.
The Bible mentions these men by name. They taught the words of the Book of the Law and they led. They called up more leaders and priests to teach.
When godly people stand up and begin to lead, it inspires more godly people to step up and lead.
15. Leaders Prepare the People to Seek the Lord
This is a beautiful cycle. This is what led to a nation prepared to seek the Lord even in the midst of troubles… which were coming soon.
Leaders help prepare the hearts to the people for times when they need a strong faith to seek the Lord.
Leaders know hard times will come so they invest heavily in the good times to be prepared for the bad.
But to have a people who are prepared, you need leaders who have stepped up. You need leaders who have determined to prepare their own hearts to seek the Lord!
Everyone Knows When You Seek the Lord
and as a result…
“The fear of the Lord fell on the all the kingdoms of the land around Judah so that they did not make war against Judah…” (2 Chronicles 17:10 NKJV)
This top-down leadership toward honoring the Lord had a far-reaching impact. Not only did it raise up leaders and call the common people to seek the Lord, but it reached the people all around Judah.
All the nations around Judah knew and they feared Yahweh. They knew what He had done in the past when the Israelites were following hard after Him. They didn’t want to get in the way. Smart people!
Our God is a God to be feared… if you are not on His side you are not safe going against His people!
Blessings Follow A Nation Sold Out To Yahweh
Again we see a season of great blessing following Judah’s great reformation.
No wars.
Nations honored Judah with gifts.
This tiny nation became powerful.
King Jehoshaphat:
- Built cities.
- Prepared for the future.
- Had prosperity.
Mighty men willingly served under his leadership.
Israel and Judah became allies… though that led to a mess (a story for another time).
16. A Repentant Heart is Proof of Seeking the Lord
The king foolishly ignored a prophet of the Lord who tried to warn him about being allies with the evil King of Israel.
What we see here, however, is that the king had a soft heart. The Lord saw that. The Lord cares about our heart attitude more than our actions it seems!
“But there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set (prepared) your heart to seek God.” (2 Chronicles 19:3)
He repented and set about to seek the Lord even more diligently!
Repentance is a clear sign of a heart set on seeking the Lord!
Proof of Repentance
Repentance can be seen in the life of a believer. So often we confess our sin, but then there is no change. That was NOT the case for King Jehoshaphat!
He began going through Judah personally to bring people to the Lord.
He set judges in place.
Also, he warned the judges to fear God and not man.
He also set higher judges to help as a sort of check and balance.
There was proof of his repentance!
17. Humility Shows a Heart Seeking God
We already discussed the common theme of testing in the lives of the Kings of Judah. Now we see the testing of Jehoshaphat with impending war.
“the people of Moab, Ammon, and others… came to battle against Jehoshaphat.” (1 Chronicles 20:1 NKJV)
How did the king respond to testing?
“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:3 NKJV)
To seek the Father, in the face of fear shows great humility.
18. Fasting Is a Way To Seek the Lord In the Days Of Trouble
To fast and call the nation to fast shows great humility.
Fasting was a common practice, a spiritual discipline, in Ancient Jewish culture. They all understood what it meant and what it could produce.
To fast is to give up something you seek for satisfaction in order to seek the Lord.
To fast is to humble yourself in a deep way. It is about following the command, seek ye first the kingdom of God. You believe that setting aside a thing – food or entertainment or any other thing that takes up your time and attention – will be like nothing compared to what HE gives you.
Many times, while fasting, the Lord will reveal our sins or our wicked ways that are displeasing Him.
He also tends to speak into your life in a real way.
Fasting is a great way to find breakthroughs when you feel stuck or bound.
Fasting is a great way to get clarity, wisdom, specific direction… protection from a battle that is too big for you to fight and win.
Israel was searching for protection and wisdom.
Fasting Shows Humility and Humility Attracts God
If you are ever searching out the steps to seek God with your whole heart… to seek Him in a way that He WILL be found… humble your heart. Mourn your sin. Fast and pray until He answers.
There is something about humility that attracts the hand of God, the voice of God.
“…God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:6?)
In the Kingdom of God, humility is a good thing and pride brings opposition from our Heavenly Father.
And I don’t know about you… but I never want to be opposite the God of Angel Armies the Lord of Hosts in that way.
19. Be Prepared To Listen To God’s Answer
When you humbly seek the Lord, He will answer.
In the case of Jehoshaphat, he fasted, he called the nation to fast, and then he prayed with such knowledge of the Lord…
He reminded himself and God of their past together. He saw that this battle was not a result of anything they had done. Then He put the battle firmly in God’s hands.
In humility, He declared that if God didn’t come in and move they could do nothing.
“For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon YOU.” (2 Chronicles 20:12 NKJV)
God spoke through one in the assembly.
God Spoke.
Can you imagine being in their midst?
After you pray, do you wait for the Lord to answer?
Are you prepared for whatever He says?
He still speaks today. Those who prepare their heart to seek the Lord do more than just pray, they also quiet themselves to listen for His still small voice.
Too often we talk at God, read through our list, and then go on about our busy day… we don’t expect Him to answer us.
I mean, we complain that He never answers us… but we don’t give Him the time or space to speak into our lives.
How Do You Listen For The Voice of God?
The Scripture tells us to seek the Lord while He may be found. This implies that there may come a time when we have ignored HIM too much and He stops talking to us…
We must re-learn the habit of seeking the Lord while He is near… then listening for what He says.
Our lives are too busy. We all know this is true. How can we slow down to listen for what God would say to us?
In the example of Jehoshaphat calling the people to fast and pray we see that after the prayer there is a pause.
“Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 20:13 NKJV)
They waited.
They didn’t pray and then began to make plans for war or retreat.
There Was No Plan B.
How long did they wait? We don’t know.
In other instances in Scripture where fasting and prayer are combined, we see people just sit in sackcloth and ash, waiting.
There is something humble about waiting for the Lord to answer.
Maybe in today’s culture, it means adding a few minutes to your prayer and quiet time. YOu pray, then you wait in silence… I like to keep a notebook close by to write down what I hear.
Expect the Lord to answer.
Draw near to Him.
Seek Him with a heart that believes He will show up and answer!
To learn more about how to wait for HIS answer, check out this series: How to Be Still
20. A Heart Seeking God Longs to Delight the Lord
If you’ve never read 2 Chronicles 20 I challenge you to pause right now go do that. The chapter is a beautiful picture of faith and action. Faith of the people and the action of God in response to that faith.
God is faithful!
The Spirit of God spoke comfort and grace to the people through a prophet in the crowd. He would fight the battle. Only go and watch as God does all the work!
Now, they still had to go… which must have felt scary.
But in response to God’s command to go, we see the faith of Jehoshaphat shine like diamonds! He doesn’t just want to obey, Jehoshaphat wants to please the Father.
There is something about a desire to delight our Father that makes you want to be just like Jehoshaphat.
What Does That Mean, To Delight the Father?
Imagine a child who follows all the rules in class at school. She knows all the do’s and don’ts. She follows them all, and probably also expects all the other students to follow them as well. Often there is a self-righteous attitude, a brat, a know-it-all kind of child no one likes.
But then there is the child who follows the rules but does so much more. He stays after without being asked to clean up. Unprompted, he brings the teacher gifts to say thank you for your sacrifice. He studies well and offers to help others who are behind. He refuses to leave early when there is a substitute.
The heart of that child wants to please the teacher, to do his best… not for a reward, but for the joy of making her smile.
This is the heart of Jehoshaphat. He longed to delight God the Father.
Praise Delights the Father
How did Jehoshaphat delight the Lord his God? Praise.
He organized the children of Judah into groups and set about to praise the Lord for the victory as they went out to watch the battle.
Jehoshaphat hadn’t seen the battle. There was no victory when they began to praise. BUT, Jehoshaphat trusted in the Lord.
If the Lord said there would be victory, Jehoshaphat believed there would be and praised God in faith believing.
They praised with a loud voice.
They obeyed God’s Word.
And God fought the battle and won!
Judah reaped the reward of God’s victory!
- The spoils of war took days to bring back to Judah.
- The fear of God fell on all around them.
- There was no more war in Jehoshaphat’s day.
Day 4: King Hezekiah
The life of King Hezekiah is found from 2 Chronicles 29 through the end of 2 Chronicles 32.
Open your Bible and read that passage before you come to read over the devotional.
21. Hezekiah Called Judah Back to Worship The Lord
When we seek the Lord, we intercede for others. King Hezekiah is the perfect example of this as a king who reigned after King David.
There were kings between Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah, but none who the Lord said had repaired their hearts to seek Him. That seems significant. They did good things, but we can do good things and not seek HIM.
Anyway, King Hezekiah started out serving the Lord.
“He did what was right in the sight of the Lord…” (2 Chronicles 29:2 NASB)
- He cleansed the temple that had been defiled by pagan worship from kings who did not seek the Lord.
- The king restored temple worship and sacrifices.
- He also encouraged worship through song.
Those are things that showed a heart preparing to seek the Lord. It draws others to the practice of worshiping as well.
22. Returning To God’s Ways Shows A Heart Prepared to Seek Him
As the king has the Levites praise the Lord while the priests begin to offer sacrifices, the begins to be a problem. There were not enough priests who were consecrated to keep up with the amount of sacrifices.
The Levites step in to help and there is so much joy and celebration.
Then the king desired that all of Israel, not just Judah, celebrate the Passover.
“Now Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 30:1 NASB)
Return Even If It’s Been A Long Time Away
It had been so long since the people of God honored Him by keeping this feast of remembrance. And it had been even longer since all 12 tribes obeyed the will of God in this.
It took great courage and faith to invite Israel to join Judah to return to God’s ways. Great faith!
It required a heart prepared to seek the Lord regardless of the consequences. It required a heart that cared more about what God thought than about what man could do to the king.
Returning to the First Things Of Faith
A heart prepared to seek the Lord longs to obey the will of the Lord. To return to the first things God called us to observe.
In today’s time that would be:
- Being Baptised after salvation
- Reading the Bible
- Studying the Word under a teacher
- Praying
- Worshiping with others
- Serving
- Giving
- Witnessing
- Fasting
- Solitude and meditation
- Participating in communion with others
- Fellowship in a Community of Believers
Returning to the first Love of God that we had when we met Him.
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” (Revelation 2:4 NKJV)
It can be easy to fall away from the first things in our faith. Life is busy and hard and can pull us in a million directions.
However, if we long to be people who seek the Lord with all our hearts, we must be people who go back to the first things again and again and again!
23. Hezekiah Interceded for Judah
A heart that has prepared to seek the Lord, like Hezekiah, has an eye on the state of other’s hearts.
Remember, the king called all of Israel to gather to celebrate the Passover. Many came.
They came with great joy and zeal. They helped further cleanse the land as they came, which was a beautiful sign of worship and reverence for Yahwey!
But the king knew that these people had been years, decades even, without following the Only True God of Israel. They were not prepared. They had not consecrated themselves. Possibly, they didn’t even know what needed to be done to be ready to celebrate the Passover.
So the king prayed that the Lord would see their hearts and forgive where they got it wrong.
“For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” (2 Chronicles 30:18-19 NASB)
A Consecrated Heart is Important When Seeking the Lord
God is holy.
Sin separates us from our Heavenly Father.
We tend to not see all our sins, we are blind to our faults. And left unchecked, a little sin can multiply quickly. That is why God called His people to consecrate themselves several times a year. This was a time to remember Him, to search out and deal with areas of sin in their lives.
When consecrating themselves, the Israelites cleaned themselves, their home, and all they owned or would touch had to be clean.
Give Us Clean Hands oh Lord!
What would that look like today?
Where is there sin in your life?
What leads you toward sin in your life?
If we were cleaning our hearts we might start with our books, movies, music or clothes/adornments. We might have an honest look at our devices and the apps we frequent. There might be some people we stop hanging out with or some places we stop visiting or shopping.
Give Us Pure Hearts!
In these dark days, in this dark land filled with sin, in these last days, we are surrounded by sin… so much so that we may not even realize what is sin in our lives, in our homes, in our thoughts or attitudes or actions.
They removed any leven or leavening agent from their home as a symbolic act to remind themselves to deal with any sin (Exodus 12:19).
A time of fasting could be needed just to help us see our lives through Jesus’ eyes.
If we are seeking the favor of the Lord, we must deal with the issue of sin in our lives!
Learn more about fasting for Spiritual clarity here ~> Spiritual Fasting for Breakthrough: The Key to Awakening
24. The Joy of The Lord Rests on Hearts Prepared To Seek Him.
The Lord blessed those who celebrated the Passover. The feast lasted twice as long as expected as they were filled with Joy!
“Their joyful prayers came up to HIS holy dwelling place, to heaven” (2 Chronicles 30:27 NKJV)
Joy filled the land.
Obedience seems hard. It seems like sacrifice. But on the other side of obedience, from a heart sold out to Jesus, is joy! He gives great joy to the children of the Lord who obey Him as they seek Him.
From that place of joy, the people supported the Levites so there could be more times like those!
It was amazing!
25. A Heart Prepared to Remembers To Look To God’s Strength
Again we see that after a time of blessing, the Lord allowed testing through battle. The Assyrian army laid siege to Judah.
Israel had already begun to be taken into captivity. The people of Judah, including King Hezekiah knew through the prophets that it was God’s will to punish them for their sins, and for the sins of their fathers.
They, as a nation, had turned away from God and there would be years of consequences for choosing disobedience… for choosing sin.
But, this king knew God, sought HIM, and chose faith rather than fear.
“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the One with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chronicles 32:7-8 NASB)
26. Prayer and Faith Bring Victory for Those Seeking the Lord
Hezekiah sought the Lord. He reminded the people to look to the Lord. This pleased God greatly.
“But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and called out to heaven for help. 21 And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed every warrior, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria.” (2 Chronicles 32:20-21 NASB)
Because they prayed. Because they trusted in the Lord.
The king and the prophet were not able to seek the Lord in that moment because of some great faith that sprang up in that moment alone. No. That faith had been growing over the years as they prepared their hearts to seek Him.
The kind of faith we need in the testing grows in us LONG before the testing comes. The testing only serves to show us how much that faith has grown.
God won that battle. God sent that army back in shame.
Our Faith Echoes Through The World Around Us
Others are watching our lives. They see the faith in our good times. But you bet they are watching in our trials and testing. They were waiting to see if our faith is real. Will it stand up in the testing or will we fall back on our flesh?
When our faith stands the testing and God wins the victory His name is made famous.
Those who are watching are drawn to Him. They may not come to faith from that alone, but there are seeds planted, respect earned… a healthy fear of the Lord grows in their hearts.
That’s what happened for Judah. The nations saw God’s victory and the king’s faith and marveled. They brought gifts and praised God and the king.
God’s Victory Could Be Our Downfall
Now, the king wasn’t perfect. All the honor that came to him as a result of God’s victory hurt him. It grew as pride in his heart.
God saw that pride… God cares more about the condition of our hearts than our sacrifices…
The Lord helped the king see his sin. He humbled himself before the Lord and avoided serious consequences.
We have to have hearts tender enough to see the hand of God in our lives. Hearts that will allow the honor to go beyond our hearts and heads and rise up to the Lord instead.
We can do great things in the name of the Lord, but all the glory is due Him. When we take it for ourselves, imagining we are something, that pride stops us from seeking Him. That pride is a sin that will pull us down and away from the Lord.
We must fight that pride and stay humble as we seek Him.
Day 5: King Josiah
The life of King Josiah is found from 2 Chronicles 34 through the end of 2 Chronicles 35.
Open your Bible and read that passage before you come to read over the devotional.
27. A Heart that Seeks the Lord is Tender
Josiah was 8 years old when he became king.
Eight years old.
What were you doing when you were a child? Play with toys? Sitting in time-out?
Josiah was purging the nation of Israel of Idolatry. He repaired the temple that once again had fallen into disrepair.
King Josiah did right in the sight of the Lord (2 Chronicles 34:2).
Then, after 8 years of reigning it says he began to seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 34:4).
He did all that good for God before He actually knew the Law, knew the Lord.
His heart was tender to the ways of the Lord, even before he knew the way of the Lord.
28. A Tender Heart Toward God’s Words Is Necessary
While cleaning out the temple they found the Book of the Law.
“When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.” (2 Chronicles 34:19 NASB)
He heard the Words of God and knew of the sin, knew of the judgment proclaimed. His heart was tender to what God said.
A heart that is prepared to seek the Lord will be tender to His Words.
29. A Tender Heart Seeks Out God’s Words
In fact, it went beyond being tender to the Word of the Lord, King Josiah, needed to seek out more WOrds of God.
He searched out a prophet, actually a prophetess of the Lord. The king needed to know more about what God had to say!
It is not enough to have heard the Bible read or gone to church once or for a while. A heart that is seeking the Lord, longs to hear the Words of the Lord. Longs to know what God would say to you, right now, in this season.
God still speaks. Are we seeking Him? Are we seeking His Words?
God Answered King Josiah
The King found a prophetess, Huldah, and asked about the Words he had heard.
God saw his humble heart, Josiah’s tender heart that longed to know HIM more.
And from that place, the Lord answered the king through His prophetess.
30. A Heart That Seeks the Lord Calls Others Toward God’s Word
After the Lord answered King Josiah, it gave momentum to his desire to worship, reform, and to restore the land to the ways of God.
The King read the law to Judah.
He made a covenant to follow the Lord, to keep His commandments.
He made all who heard take a stand for the Lord.
Then he removed all the abominations…
And for as long as King Josiah lived all of Israel followed the Lord God of their fathers.
A heart that seeks the Lord, that knows the value of God’s Word, calls all other believers to follow hard after His Words as well!
More Than 10 Ways To Seek God
We began this study by asking a question. How do you diligently seek the Lord?
Throughout the life of these 5 kings of Judah, we saw way more than 10 ways to seek God… 30 ways to seek the Lord, in fact. With each king, we were able to look deeper and deeper into the heart of God for us in this calling.
30 Ways to Seek The Lord Through 5 Kings
Let’s review for a moment:
King Rehoboam
- Spiritual leaders set their hearts to seek the Lord
- Know in advance that seeking the Lord is counter-cultural
- Believe that just a few godly believers can shift the culture
- Understand that we all leave a legacy
- All believers must prepare their hearts to seek the Lord – not just leaders.
King Asa - To seek the Lord you must remove evil
- Expect that Testing Follows Obedience
- Prayer is how you seek the Lord In trials!
- The perseverance of man brings blessing as you seek the Lord
- Respond in obedience to the instruction of God to seek the Lord
- Stay consistent in seeking the Lord
King Jehoshaphat - Delight In the Lord to seek Him
- Know that leaders are held to a higher standard when they seek Him
- Leaders who seek the Lord, call other leaders up
- Leaders prepare the people to seek the Lord
- A repentant heart is proof of seeking the Lord
- Humility shows a heart seeking God
- Fasting Is a Way to seek the Lord In the days of trouble
- A heart seeking the Lord is prepared to listen to God’s answer
- A heart seeking God longs to delight the Lord
King Hezekiah - When you seek the Lord, you call others back to worship the Lord
- Returning to God’s ways shows a heart prepared to seek Him
- A heart seeking God intercedes for others
- The joy of the Lord rests on hearts prepared to seek Him.
- A heart prepared to seek the Lord Remembers to look to God’s strength
- Prayer and faith bring victory to those seeking the Lord
King Josiah - When you seek the Lord, your heart is tender
- A tender heart toward God’s Words comes with seeking the Lord
- Seeking the Lord causes a tender heart to seek out more of God’s Words
- A heart that seeks the Lord calls others toward God’s Word
How Do You Diligently Seek The Lord Today?
Learning how to seek the Lord as a 21st-century believer is not much different from those who came before us.
“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV)
We must seek Him.
He will not always wait on us to…
overcome our fear…
set aside comfort…
let go of the need to fit in…
accept that we don’t understand everything…
let go of our hard-hearted critical nature…
He wants all of us… He wants us to seek Him today.
We are the leaders He is calling to step up, and to be tender toward His Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
We are the leaders who are to remove evil, train up more leaders, and lead the believers all around us to worship Him, serve Him, and follow hard after Him.
The times are late.
The world has turned away from the things of the Lord.
We are the light He has called to seek Him and call the world back to Him while there is still time.
Will you begin to seek Him today?
in HIS love,
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
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You’ve covered this topic from all angles, great job.
So glad it blessed you, Adrian.