what does it mean to leave family to pursue god wholeheartedly

What core practices should every Christian live out? Find out if you're living the Seeking-God Lifestyle.

Introduction

It is the honor and privilege of every Christian to know God and to walk with Him on a daily footing. He is the one true and glorious God who has created us and redeemed u.s. so that we may walk with Him in this life and the adjacent.

Though some Christians accept known God through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ for years, they may not be aware of what it means to seek God and what He expects of those called by His proper name. To be a Christian is to exist a follower, an imitator, of Jesus Christ. We must pursue God, love Him, and serve Him the way our Lord and Savior has modeled for us.

Seeking subsequently God isn't something to exist primarily undertaken by non-Christians, simply Christians. It'south common to call an interested non-Christian a "seeker," which isn't wrong. However, in xc percentage of occurrences in the Scriptures, the concept of seeking after God is characteristic of Christians, not non-Christians. Information technology is an ongoing mindset and lifestyle of those who desire to know, dear, and follow God. Becoming a Christian is a step in the process of seeking God, merely only the kickoff step, and the rest of one's life is to be spent cartoon closer to Him.

Another way to think about seeking God is the concept of attracting the presence of God. These are 2 dissimilar ways of proverb the same matter. Every bit nosotros draw almost to God, He draws virtually to u.s.a.. As the prophet Azariah told Rex Asa in ii Chronicles 15:ii: "The LORD is with you when you are with him. If yous seek him, he volition be establish by yous, simply if you abdicate him, he volition forsake you."  God's presence comes in the person of the Holy Spirit. When we seek Him, He pours out His Holy Spirit into our lives individually and corporately. In i sense, God is everywhere. He is omnipresent, merely nosotros come across in the Scriptures that He also inhabits certain people or groups of people in special means at detached times. This is what nosotros are to seek after – the very presence of God in our lives and communities. We desire the presence of God to exist on earth as it is in heaven.

The post-obit are seven principles that draw what it means to seek later God. They are activities on our role that attract His supernatural presence. God'southward specific sovereignty over all people and events does not nullify the reality and responsibility of humanity to seek afterward Him. God is sovereign over all who become Christians, but a person must repent of his sins and believe the good news to get a Christian. God ordains the ends, simply He also ordains the means. The post-obit are the ways that attract His supernatural presence in outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Understanding and practicing the following seven principles will make yous a seeker after God. Information technology is what you were designed for and is what the Lord expects of yous.

Principle ane:  Humility and Fasting

The very essence of post-obit Christ is to imitate Him in His humility. Though He was God Himself, He set aside his power and celebrity to become part of the creation. He went still further and became willing to be treated similar a criminal and die on the cross for humanity'due south sins. Jesus exemplified a humble life, which every Christian is to emulate. Moreover, pride is the opposite of humility, and nosotros know from the Scriptures that God judges and actively opposes the proud (James four:six, i Peter five:v). It's an awesome reality to exist opposed by the God of the Universe, nevertheless that is where many stand. Not simply non-Christians, but proud Christians can expect the opposition of the God of heaven and world. The admonitions to be humble in Philippians, James and ane Peter are all written to a Christian audience, not not-Christians.

God has made plain that He loves to support and dwell with the humble in center. Isaiah 57:15 says, "For this is what the high and lofty 1 says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the middle of the contrite.'"  Additionally, Isaiah 66:2 says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."

God commands us numerous times in the Scriptures to "apprehensive ourselves." It is our ain responsibility to humble ourselves, and not something we should passively wait for and hope happens at some point. It'due south a control that we must obey, and God has given us a tool to help usa: fasting. Fasting is not the only tool to aid humble ourselves: there is also confession of sins, meditating on the life and example of Christ, and other ways to develop humility. Still, fasting is an important tool and one that has been neglected in the Western church building. It is important not to accept fasting too far in thinking that it is the sin qua non of the Christian life. The Pharisees in the New Testament showed that a person tin be a regular faster and still be self-righteous, proud and greedy. Information technology is non the reply to all spiritual bug in a person'due south life, but the do is in the Scriptures for a reason. It is indeed of import, and should be proficient regularly. Information technology is non a spiritual panacea, simply neglecting i of the most potent tools for humility was never God'south intention.

Later all, Jesus said to his disciples, "When you fast…". Information technology was always causeless that fasting would exist part of the Christian life subsequently Jesus died and rose from the expressionless. At that place was no need to fast when Christ was present, because at that place was no need to mourn over the absence of God, but in one case He ascended, the era of fasting returned to the people of God. We know from early church documents like the Didache that it was the practice of Christians in the beginning century to fast every Wednesday and Friday until 3pm. They would take a meal in the evening, which would exist all the food they took in for the twenty-four hour period. There would exist special times of extended fasting just as there were before Christ came, merely regular fasting is also important.

Fasting isn't something that was adult during the first century; it had existed for centuries. Moses fasted, Elijah fasted, Nehemiah fasted, Mordecai fasted, David fasted, and Daniel fasted. The list goes on and on. Sometimes people fasted for a day and sometimes for as long as 70 days (Mordecai and all the Jews in the Western farsi Empire) or 120 days (Nehemiah, affiliate 1). Different circumstances require dissimilar lengths of fasting. For the Christian seeking to humble himself before God, fasting must exist a regular part of his or her life.

Bottom Line:

• The Christian must continually cultivate humility, making apply of the field of study of fasting regularly as well as episodically. The offset century church fasted every Wednesday and Friday until 3pm.

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Principle ii:  Fervent and Frequent Prayer

The typical prayer life of the start-century Christian and the boilerplate Christian in Asia or Africa is markedly different from that of the Christian in America and Europe. Of course, in that location are exceptions, simply more often than not, in that location is little to no dedication to regular prayer among Christians in the Westward. Epaphras (Colossians 4:12, thirteen) shows us that without consistent, dedicated prayer you can count on significantly less happening in the lives of your loved ones and in the world at large. The Scriptures chide us to pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

According to Professor of Liturgy at Notre Dame, Paul F. Bradshaw, the pattern for first-century pious Jews and Christians was to pray two or three set times per twenty-four hour period, in improver to praying continuously throughout the day. Many Christians lift up prayers during the twenty-four hour period as they go near their business, which is a proficient thing and is modeled in the Scriptures (due east.g., Nehemiah); however, the Biblical pattern is to do more than than that. The pattern is to pray two or 3 ready times per day like Daniel (Daniel six:10). Repeatedly, nosotros are told to pray night and day in the Scriptures. Luke eighteen shows that we are to pray night and day. We see in 1 Timothy 5 that widows who did not pray solar day and night were considered lovers of pleasure and were not to be given financial help. Hebrews 13:5 bear witness that the twice daily burnt offerings at the temple were a blazon of the twice or more daily prayer offerings that Christians are to accept before the Lord. In the Scriptures, some of these set times of prayer are described as the "hour of prayer" (due east.g., Acts 3:1), which gives us a sense of their length. Combined with Bible reading, the Christian should be praying two or three prepare times every day totaling a couple of hours. This is to be washed on 1's ain or gathered with other Christians.

Bottom Line:

• Pray fervently two or three ready times per day (worship and praise are a type of prayer).
• Pray continuously throughout the day.

Principle 3:  Taking in the Word

Similar to the discipline of prayer two or iii times a twenty-four hour period is the subject area of taking in the Word of God. The Scriptures need to be meditated upon, read, or heard 2 or more times per solar day (Deut 6:four-nine, Josh ane:eight) so that we can know and do the will of God. Every mean solar day, pious Jews in the first century would recite from retentivity a few passages from Deuteronomy and Numbers (chosen the Shema). They would besides read the Scriptures to each other, recite from memory diverse passages, and mediate on the word of God. This became the practice of Christians too.

In the Bible, "word of God" refers to the Scriptures, but not exclusively to the Scriptures. The word of God also comes in other ways. If God speaks to you through a prophetic message, dream, angelic visitation or any other means, and so it is the word of God and yous must obey and follow the Lord. Of course, these revelations need to be weighed against the Scriptures and talked over with godly friends, then that you tin accurately sense what God has said, just if God has spoken to y'all, then you must obey Him. Unfortunately, this is a means of receiving God's revelation that is not practiced or known among nearly Western educated Christians. Some wrongly believe that believing and practicing the spiritual gifts like prophecy and word of cognition have abroad from the say-so of the Scriptures, only it is the Scriptures themselves that cosign the legitimacy of hearing from God in these ways. Nosotros must have the courage to obey the Scriptures in these ways even if it does not match our prior experience. Every bit with anything else, at that place is much to larn and there volition be many growing pains, but by actively cultivating the fine art of hearing God you will exist able to know His will and able to seek Him much more specifically and wholeheartedly.

Bottom Line:

• Pray and read the Bible on your own or with others two or three set times per day. This should total almost 2 hours per day, and includes weekly church service, Bible studies, daily devotions, prayer meetings, Midweek nighttime church meetings, accountability groups and whatever else.
• Cultivate your ability to hear the word of God through words of noesis, dreams, and prophecies.

Principle four:  Repentance

The Lord loves and draws near to all who repent of their sins, considering repentance delights God'southward heart like footling else. Luke tells us that there is boggling joy in sky when sinners repent and turn to God (Luke 15:10). God yearns and securely desires to prove mercy and give approving, but often He will but practise so when He sees genuine repentance in people'due south lives. Ezekiel 18:31, 32 says, "Rid yourselves of all the offenses you lot take committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why volition you lot dice, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasance in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Apologize and alive!"

At that place is an boggling story of Male monarch Ahab who was an exceedingly wicked rex of Israel. He murdered in cold blood and rebelled confronting God repeatedly. God sent Elijah to pronounce judgment on him, warning him of the impending disaster. Yet, Ahab humbled himself and repented of his sins, moving God to relent in sending punishment. God said to Elijah in 1 Kings 21:29, "Have yous noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I volition not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."

At another time in Israel's history, the people were faithful to continue regular times of prayer and fasting, still were rebellious against God. This hypocrisy angered God who rebuked them in Joel two:12, thirteen: "'Even at present,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and non your garments. Render to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and empathetic, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending cataclysm.'"  The people were hypocrites for going through the motions of fasting and rending their garments, when they were not genuinely repenting ("rending their hearts") earlier God for the evil they had done.

Bottom Line:

• Apologize if you take not been seeking God fervently and wholeheartedly.
• Apologize of any and every area of your life that has non been consistent with God's volition.
• Put away anything in your life that is doubtful and that may be displeasing to God.

Principle five:  Obedience

The flip side to repentance is obedience, and authentic repentance always leads to obedience. Repentance is looking to the by concerning sins and acknowledging what needs to be brought earlier God. Obedience is daily walking in holiness and surrender to Jesus Christ equally Lord. God delights and draws close to those who live righteous lives.

Every civilisation has characteristics that reinforce and commend the eternal commands of God and yet also has values that are contrary to the will of God, which demand to exist brought into alignment with Him. American civilization in the 21^st century has much going for it, including a stiff value on racial tolerance, faithful stewardship of the surround, and caring for the poor. It doesn't hateful that all of these social conditions are as they should be, but in general, club values what God values in these areas. On the other manus, there are electric current American values that stand in stark contrast to the means of God, and it is the duty of Christians to faithfully reject cultural norms and adopt God's values. Faithfully walking with God even when this brings 1 in disharmonize with the surrounding culture exemplifies a righteous and holy life, and God loves the righteous and draws close to them.

In the category of sexual integrity, American culture has strayed far away from the Biblical norms information technology one time embraced. Fornication, pornography, homosexuality, infidelity, and divorce are all common in Christian as well as non-Christian culture in the The states, greatly grieving the heart of God. Much of this sexual immorality results in abortion, which has claimed tens of millions of lives in the last 50 years amounting to a holocaust much worse than the holocaust of World State of war 2 and even worse than the era of slavery in the United states. God forgives when in that location is genuine repentance, and America and American Christians have much to repent over in this area.

Another American cultural norm that grieves the eye of God is materialism and greed. Although America is the richest state in the history of the globe, the average American merely gives away 2% of his income, and Christians are only slightly improve at near 3.5%. Giving away ten% of income was the norm for pious Jews and Christians in the starting time century, such that a person was considered generous only if he gave considerably more than 10%. Now it is considered remarkable if Christians give abroad just 10%. How has our thinking been and so altered that nosotros are and then wealthy yet and so stingy at the aforementioned time?  Every Christian must pause free from this demonic stronghold and learn to live generously.

Lesser Line:

• Obey all the Lord's commands including the control to love Him with your whole heart and to dearest others as well. Resolve to live a righteous life.
• Maintain sexual integrity, and work to reduce and end the evil of abortion.
• Give abroad at least 10% of income.
• Obey the Spirit promptly.

Principle vi:  Perseverance

Seeking God is a way of life and non something solely to exist done in times of desperate need. God's presence and favor is definitely worth pursuing diligently yr in and year out. American society thinks nothing of pursuing education ten hours a day in classroom and homework time for many years, and American society thinks nothing of pursuing athletic excellence through many hours of practice every day twelvemonth after year. The same diligence we evidence toward these other worthy causes should be shown in our single-minded pursuit of pleasing and following the i true God. As the Scriptures say in 1 Timothy 4:8, "For concrete training is of some value, simply godliness has value for all things, property promise for both the nowadays life and the life to come."

It is extraordinary to notice the difficult work and diligence that some apply to various aspects of their lives, exist it education, athletics or a hobby. In season and out of season, many Christians faithfully and diligently work difficult to exist amend educated or skilled in athletics or a instrument. Withal, many of these same Christians showroom extraordinarily low prioritization of their walk with Jesus Christ, and and then wonder why they practise non have the Lord's presence and power in their lives. Those who are out of shape physically unremarkably know why they are out of shape:  they don't exercise enough. Those who practice not perform well on their tests know that often the reason is that they take not studied. Yet, many Christians have little victory and power in their lives and they honestly have no idea why. They have not been praying and reading the Scriptures diligently, fasting, humbling themselves, repenting of their sins, and practicing consistent obedience to God. God is displeased with them and perhaps even opposing them, and yet they are completely ignorant of it.

Observe the single-minded zeal of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12-fourteen:

Non that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I printing on to grab that for which Christ Jesus took concord of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken concur of it. But one thing I exercise: Forgetting what is backside and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has chosen me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

It is this perspective that must exist the mindset of every person who seeks afterward God diligently. Nosotros must chase later on God, never being satisfied with anything less than His divine blessing and presence in our lives.

Bottom Line:

• Be focused and diligent in your seeking afterward God.
• Persevere in your hunt for God, month later month, year after year.

Principle 7:  Gathering of/with Others

Seeking after God isn't merely an individual pursuit, but a corporate i as well. Jonathan Edwards, perhaps the about respected theologian on the subject of revival, wrote that the best Biblical passage on the topic is Zechariah 8:20-23, which states:

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will even so come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Permit usa go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Omnipotent. I myself am going.' And many peoples and powerful nations volition come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him."

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm concur of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with y'all.'"

Notice the zeal of those seeking later on the Lord. Information technology was not enough that they themselves were seeking after God, but they were compelled to encourage others to seek God as well.

Not simply is the gathering of others of import in seeking God, but gathering with others is critical. It is of import that Christians gather with others on a weekly if not daily footing to encourage each other in the faith to remain strong in the Lord and to minister to each other, building up the trunk of Christ. Christians should be regular participants in churches, small groups, and other large and modest group gatherings to stimulate one some other to love and good deeds.

Moreover, it is of import that Christians follow the Biblical example of gathering for several multi-24-hour interval Christian conferences per year in order to deepen their honey and devotion to God. The ancient Israelites were told to keep three feasts per year:  the Feast of Unleavened Bread for one week, the Feast of Pentecost for a weekend, and the Feast of Tabernacles for one week. During these times, there was celebration, public reading of the Bible, pedagogy, praise and worship, and confession of sin (see Exodus 23:14-nineteen; Nehemiah 8; and 2 Chronicles thirty). All families every bit part of the nation of State of israel were required to keep these 3 annual feasts so that they would be strengthened in their love for God, ready and able to serve Him and walk with Him all year long. Unfortunately, the Israelites did not ever keep these feasts and their hearts strayed away from the Lord. However, periodically during the years, they would repent, return to God, and hold these feasts with spectacular results. Every bit examples, read Nehemiah viii and 2 Chronicles 30 to notice the boggling joy and zeal for God that would develop during these feasts.

The same design should be truthful of those who seek afterwards God in our electric current age. A person remains strong and devoted to God when he has regular multi-24-hour interval experiences of pedagogy, encouragement, worship, confession and prayer. For the Christian seeking after God the question should not be whether he or she will attend a few multi-day Christian conferences in the upcoming year, simply rather, when and which ones he or she will nourish.

Lesser Line:

• Call others to bring together with you in seeking God fervently (both non-Christians and Christians).
• Gather with others regularly for church building and relational encouragement and accountability.
• Attend three multi-day Christian conferences per twelvemonth for strengthening and devotion.

Obstacles to Seeking God

In that location are two significant obstacles to adopting a seeking-God lifestyle that need to be briefly addressed. They consist of a wrong theological understanding of legalism, and the notion of "busyness."

In that location are few concepts more misunderstood in American Christian civilisation than legalism. To the average American Christian, legalism refers to having to practise something in the Christian life that they do not want to do. This is very different from the Biblical principles from which the concept probably originates. The word itself just appears once in the Bible in Philippians three:6 in the course of "legalistic," referring to the Campaigner Paul's standing in Judaism before becoming a Christian. All of the principles in the foregoing essay on seeking God have nothing to practice with legalism and everything to do with fulfilling God's commands and living as a Christian. Legalism, rightly understood, refers to iii possibilities:

one)  First of all, legalism is believing that a person has to perform a work in social club to be saved instead of relying on God's grace through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. For case, if a person believes y'all must nourish church service a certain number of times before you can go a Christian, that is an inaccurate and legalistic understanding of the gospel. A requirement in improver to the gospel has been added, which is unacceptable.

2)  Secondly, the Pharisees could exist considered legalistic because they specified and added requirements to what information technology meant to live a God-fearing life. For case, they decided that it was a violation of the Sabbath for Jesus or anyone else to perform a healing on the Sabbath. Jesus rebuked them, pointing out that every single 1 of them would rescue one of their prized animals if it roughshod into a pit on a Sabbath, and then how could it exist impermissible to heal a person on the Sabbath?  The Pharisees added requirements to God'due south command, depending on their own traditions instead of God'south desires. For example, to tell someone that they must pray at 6 am every single day or otherwise they are disobedient to God is an instance of this kind of legalism. The Scriptures do indeed teach us to pray and read the Bible two or three times per day, only never is it stated at exactly what time that should be washed. Nor is it wrong to prepare a time of prayer at six am and gather others to attend, just as long as it's articulate that you're not suggesting that people are disobedient to God if they don't do it at that time.

iii)  Thirdly, the Pharisees could also exist considered legalistic because they were hypocritically emphasizing less of import commands of God while neglecting the more important ones. Matthew 23:23 exemplifies this with Jesus' rebuke to the Pharisees: "Woe to you, teachers of the police and Pharisees, you hypocrites! Y'all give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you lot have neglected the more important matters of the police force—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should accept skillful the latter, without neglecting the former."  It is helpful to notice that Jesus explicitly stated that they indeed should not have neglected tithing. The problem was that they were extremely captious about their tithing, even making sure they tithed the increase in their plants, yet they neglected even more important commands including justice, mercy and faithfulness. A parallel example today would be for a person to pray and read the Bible regularly three times per day, yet commit sexual immorality and not think anything of information technology. The solution is not to neglect the daily prayer, merely to recollect to be faithful to God in all matters. It would be much amend to miss prayer once in a while and have sexual integrity, than to exist extremely captious about set prayer times while living in sexual immorality.

A incorrect understanding of legalism has kept many from following God with the diligence and wholeheartedness that He is owed. The seven principles listed in the foregoing essay are not legalistic but an caption of what the Scriptures teach near how to seek after God. Accept a close wait yourself and become convinced about what the Scriptures are teaching on what it ways to seek God and then be faithful to those principles.

A second common obstacle is that of "busyness."  Many Christians do not want to spend the time that seeking later on God requires because they are too busy. Their beloved for God has grown and so cold that even when it becomes clear to them from the Scriptures how they ought to spend their fourth dimension, they will not brand God the priority that He demands. They will rarely state it and so starkly, only instead will point to their responsibilities at piece of work, at church, in studying, in driving their kids to events, and the list goes on and on. When a student decides he wants to play sports at the college level, it ways that now he needs to spend time getting in shape and practicing, which means that other priorities volition be left behind. By necessity, the student athlete will not have as much fourth dimension for other organized campus events or entertainments, including movies, Idiot box, video games, and surfing the internet. The college athlete knows that his time must be prioritized if he is going to succeed.

Similarly, to adopt the Christian lifestyle every bit described in the Bible will mean sacrifices in other areas. What can be difficult is that some Christians have lived for years not making God a priority and when confronted with the explicit expectations of God in the Bible do not want to alter their priorities. Other activities, as proficient as they may exist, have go idols and occupy the Christian's first honey instead of Jesus Himself. Righting oneself and making changes to one'due south schedule and priorities is a hard and sometimes fifty-fifty a grieving process. We grieve when nosotros lose things that nosotros love, and unfortunately, for many Christians their first love is for many other pursuits in their lives instead of pleasing and serving God Himself.

As you put these vii principles into regular practice, you will notice pregnant changes in your life. Your decision-making will be more consistent with God'southward plans, y'all will have greater power over sin, you volition hear the voice of God more frequently, and you will experience fillings of the Holy Spirit. It'southward the life that God has planned for you, and doing any less volition mean that you may miss out on God's specific plan and phone call on your life.

FREE OFFER: Get the "Seeking God Lifestyle" Bible Course Manual. Download this 67-page, 5-lesson form in PDF format.

Editor: This article was first published January 15, 2017.

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Source: https://www.dayandnight.org/seven_principles_of_a_seeking_god_lifestyle

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