3 Ways to Seek the Lord

Hello Friends and Happy New Year!

I love the new year, don’t you? It always feels like a fresh start, like the sun is rising on and washing over us with newness, excitement, and opportunity. I take some time each year to choose a word + verse for the year, and this year I chose seek, from 27:8. (To learn more about word of the year and why I chose seek, check out last week’s podcast episode!). In 2023, I want to truly seek the Lord more. I want to seek Him when I’m struggling, when I’m succeeding, when I don’t know what to do. I want Him to be the first place I go in every circumstance. I want to seek His will and plan for my life and not my own. Is this your heart too? If not, we should all come to this desire in some capacity. The Bible commands us to seek the Lord first (Matthew 6:33), and when we do everything else follows. Let your pray be this week to turn your heart to the Lord and grow a desire to seek Him in your life.

How can we seek the Lord practically? I’m a practical gal. Don’t beat around the bush and give me feelings and abstract ideas, how can we actually, actively, seek the Lord in our daily life? Here are a few ways I’m working on seeking the Lord, and I’d love for you to join me.

Lay Your Plans Before the Lord

Are you planning a big road trip this year? Are you considering taking a different job? Are you going to finish your degree? Buy a new car? Declutter your entire home? Whatever your plans are in 2023, and even just for the day, lay them before the Lord. Yes, even if it is just the plan to go to story time at the library or meet your best friend at the gym for a workout. Do you have the desire for a larger home? A larger family? A savings account goal? Lay it before the Lord.

How can you lay your plans, daily, weekly, or yearly, before the Lord? I think the first step in this is to start your day with prayer. Ask the Lord, “Is this what you want?” When you sit at your table and plan your calendar for the month, ask the Lord to bless each activity. Pray over each to-do list. Ask Him to help you accomplish what needs to be done and let go of what doesn’t (preaching to the choir, here). Proverbs 16:9 tells us that men make many plans, but it is the Lord Who guides us through life.

Step one in seeking the Lord everyday: give Him your plans, to bless or to change.

Set Aside Time to be With the Lord

If I have learned anything in the past 2 years, it is how crucial and vital it is to prioritize time with the Lord in His word. If you aren’t in your Bible daily, seeking knowledge of the character and heart of God, you aren’t seeking Him. The Bible is our lifeline to the Father. The Bible contains every bit of information we ought to know about our Lord, and if we are going to seek Him, we must be in His word. There are no excuses. I used to be more gentle with this, but the older I get and the more my life changes, there is no excuse for not being in God’s Word. You either want to seek Him, or you don’t. If you truly want to seek the Lord, you will make the time. You will wake up earlier, or go to bed earlier. You will turn off your phone and focus. You will let go of your social calendar a bit. There is time. Check your screen time on your phone, how many hours are you spending on social media? Take one of those hours and read your Bible instead. It will greatly affect your life. The more you seek the Lord, the more you seek the Lord.

Remove Distractions

This has been my life lesson for the past year and some change. You can only seek the Lord when you remove distractions! Your distractions may be different, and some distractions you simply can’t remove. However the distractions you can remove will open the opportunity up to seek the Lord. I will go into detail about my experience with social media in the February podcast, but removing social media from my life has changed my spiritual life. It’s incredible how easily the things of this world block us from seeking the Lord. The noise of the world can become so loud even without social media. We all get tripped up by it. The to do list, the hang outs, the new tv show, the headlines, the worry. These things so easily capture our time and thoughts, and we have to actively remove them. Today I’m not going to watch tv, I’m going to read and pray and listen. Listening to the Lord is part of seeking Him and it takes silence to do so. Now, as a mom of 2, silence is rare. BUT I can seek the Lord and listen to Him in the noise of my home life, but I cannot seek and listen to the Lord when I have a podcast on or when I’m reading a book.

If you truly want to seek the Lord, remove the distractions from your day, and just seek him.

I pray this post encourages you to seek the Lord wholeheartedly, intentionally, and always.

The Illusion of Control

Did you know that the button you press to change the walk sign at a crosswalk doesn’t actually work? Yes, at some point they all did. Once they rigged the stop lights to automatic timers, they essentially turned off the button that would “notify” the light that a pedestrian was waiting to walk. Why leave the button? Because it gives everyone the illusion of control, which comforts us, which makes us “happier”. When standing on a street corner waiting to cross, we push the button once, maybe twice, maybe even three times to encourage it to change more quickly. We don’t trust that the light will change, maybe it’s forgotten that people like to use the crosswalk, maybe it will prioritize cars over pedestrians and never turn. So we push the button, and stand a little straighter with the confidence that we are in control of when the light turns. Even though when you are at the same intersection in a vehicle, there is no button to push, you simply wait somewhat patiently believing the light will eventually change and give you the opportunity to continue traveling to your destination. When it comes to the cross walk, though, we are so untrusting that we have to be given a button that gives us the illusion that we have the power to control the situation.

This translates to our walk with the Lord. We are under the illusion that we have control, and often our trust in Him wavers. We take matters quickly and huffily into our own hands rather than confidently trust in His sovereignty, love, power, and wisdom. Rather than hand control over to the one who literally made and called us to Himself, and trust that He works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), we push the button over and over again, believing we are forcing the light to change so we can go our way.

This lack of trust is one of the many things we as believers are on a lifetime journey of cultivating. Every trial we get through, every success, every miraculous provision, gently stretches us and the end result is a tad more trust. It’s a scaffolding effect. God brought us through this excruciating trial as a teenager, and we gained a little bit more trust. When the trial comes again at 26 and you are still living alone, wondering if your life partner will ever be found, you can think back and say to yourself, “God brought me through this hard thing, I can trust that He will bring me through again.” When you are 30, welcoming your first child into the world, you can look back and say “God did bring me through,” and your trust in Him deepens a little bit more.

I believe it is the human inclination to expect ourselves to be good at everything right away. Perhaps it’s just mine? Trust doesn’t work like that. Trust in the Lord takes time, and it absolutely takes the trials. Without the trials, we would never be forced to lean on God and trust in Him more. Trust takes time. The Lord knows that, and He is unwavering. He walks by your side in the deep, full trust, and the weak and worried trust. He never leaves or forsakes you (Hebrews 13:5) whether you are trying to take control into your own hands or if you are patiently waiting for Him to change the light.

I want to encourage you today with this verse.

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

Psalm 62:8

He is in ultimate control of all things, and this means that you can trust in Him at all times, in every situation, and in all trials. Simply pour out your heart before him. He is your refuge. I pray that you carry this with you through your week and that it lifts you up.

10 Scriptures to Renew Your Mind

Hello friends and happy Monday! I think that we can all agree that life is hard. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel as though I’m constantly combating negative thoughts. If I let my mind run wild, it would be full of fear and worry and anger and contempt. These are not the thoughts that the Lord intended for me to have! When I accepted Jesus, I became a new creature and started the lifelong transformation into His image. Today we’re going to talk a little about this, and I am going to share 10 verses you can use to renew your mind.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

In this passage, Paul tells us to be transformed through the renewal of our minds so that we can discern what is God’s will. This is an important command and an even more important spiritual discipline, or “Holy Habit.” The Holy Spirit is continually working in our hearts to transform us into the image of Christ. However, renewing our minds is not a passive event that just happens to us. It takes thought and intention on our part to renew our mind, and if you are a believer in Jesus you should be implementing this discipline into your life. Renewing your mind only happens through the power of the Holy Spirit, but it also requires you to actively replace lies with truth. Renewing your mind means rebuilding your thought life, making your thoughts new, and turning your thought life into the thought life you were originally intended to have before sin entered the world. This is a process that will take our entire earthly life. When we finally see Jesus face to face, then our transformation will be complete. In last week’s podcast episode, I go into more detail about what, why, and most importantly how to renew our mind. I encourage you to go and listen to that episode because it is so important, and I won’t be covering those details here.

Instead, today I want to share 10 scriptures and prayers to use in the process of renewing your mind. I have chosen these scriptures intentionally to address specific struggles we have. These scripture are to be memorized, recited, and prayed.

I pray this post is an encouragement to you, that it speaks to a current struggle you have, that it inspires you to actively renew your mind.

1 // Fear in Trying Circumstances

Psalm 62:2

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken

Heavenly Father,

I am scared, worried, and anxious. I don’t know what is going to happen, or how I am going to get through this trying situation. Remind me today that you alone are my rock and my salvation. Remind me that you are my fortress, my stronghold, my safe place. Remind me that you are the anchor in this storm, and because of you I will not be greatly shaken. Thank you for being my rock and my salvation.

2 // Depression / Sadness

Psalm 16:11

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Heavenly Father,

I don’t know when this sorrow will end. I do not know when I will feel joy again. Remind me of who you are and the joy you bring. Remind me that you have given me life. Remind me that in your presence is full and unwavering joy. Remind me that with you there is pleasure and happiness. Do not let me forget. Return to me your joy, and envelope me in your presence. Thank you for giving me an everlasting joy.

3 // Heavy Burdens

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Lord,

This burden is so heavy. I don’t know how much longer I can carry it. I feel weak and weary. Remind me today and always that you are my sustainer. Remind me that you can carry all of my burdens with ease. Remind me that you keep me steadfast and will not let me fall. Thank you for sustaining me.

4 // Doubting the Lord Hears You

Psalm 34:17

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Lord,

I have been doubting that you even hear my prayers. I have been calling out to you and it feels like you are not there, that you do not care. I need your help. Remind me of the truth: that you hear me. Remind me that you deliver me. Thank you for always hearing me, even when I doubt that truth.

5 // Anxiety Over Your Needs

Philippians 4:19

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Heavenly Father,

I do not understand how this need will be met. It seems to be an impossible situation, I am riddled with worry that I won’t have what I need. This is not the truth. Remind me of what is true. That you will supply every need, not just one, not just some, but every single need of mind. Remind me that you own all things and all good things are from you. Remind me that you will take care of me, just as you take care of the lilies of the field. Thank you for always giving me what I need. I hand my worry over to you.

6 // Loneliness

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Heavenly Father, I feel so lonely. It feels like I have no one to talk to, no one to share this life with. I long for a companion to walk through life. Remind me of your truth Lord. Remind me that you are always with me, that you are not just God, but that you are my God. Remind me that you are my source of strength. Thank you for speaking your truth to my heart.

7 // Feeling out of Control

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Dear Lord,

I feel out of control. I feel like every plan I have had for my life has not gone well. I feel like I can’t get my head on straight. I know this is because I am not in control, you are. Remind me of the truth. Remind me that your plan and purpose for my life is the best. Remind me that nothing can change your will for my life. Remind me that you work all things for my good. Thank you for leading my life.

8 // Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Heavenly Father,

The burden of sin is so heavy. This sin has its grip on me. I feel like there is nowhere to turn, and I am so weary. I know that you overcame sin on the cross and I am not a slave to sin. Remind me that you are faithful, and that you have always given me a choice. Remind me of the truth that I do not have to fall into sin any longer. Remind me that you experienced this on earth, and you know exactly what this is like. Help me endure. Thank you for your strength and faithfulness.

9 // Loss + Grief

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Lord,

My heart is broken. The grief is crashing over me, crushing me. This loss has wrecked me and I do not know how to keep going. I need you. Remind me that you are near to me. Remind me that you will not let me wander in this grief forever, but that you will save me from it. Strengthen me, and draw close to me.

10 // Selfishness

Philippians 2:3

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I am struggling with selfishness. I know this is not who you made me to be. Some days it is so hard to keep giving of myself. Remind me of your truth. Remind me to be humble and count others as more important than myself. Thank you for your mercy and help in this area.

Thank you for taking time to read today's post. I pray that it has spoken to your heart and that you've found something helpful here! Have a great week friends.