Enter His Presence With Your Words,

Leave it With a Depository of His Divine Purpose

Tommy Tenney

When the Scriptures say we must become as little children to come to Him, it is God's way of saying, "You will always be My baby." He is always ready to play another round of celestial "hidey-face" with His children. The beckoning finger of God is saying, "Come on." It is time to put a demand on the passion of God ... You have no idea how much He loves you. Let your worship and hunger cry out to Him in desperation right now.

It was customary in ancient times for anyone having an audience with a king to bring gifts with them. We must revive that custom in the church. All we offer the King of kings in most so-called "worship" services are a few half-hearted songs sung mostly for ourselves and some partial tithes and offerings (some of which is laced with the offensive smell of grudging resentment or doubt and unbelief). But for the grace and mercy of God, we would all be dead by now. Perhaps this explains why so many American Christians seem to demonstrate more passion over a basketball referee's call than over the eternal things of God.

What do you offer the God who made everything? Your works are valued, but do they have any value to Him? How do you open the heart of the Kings of kings?

Never come before the King "empty-mouthed." Bring Him the treasures of your heart carefully wrapped and delivered in the passionate words of your lips-a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Words can run faster than works; worship will capture what our hands can't reach.

Your works will never capture Him, but your worship, your passion, and your cry of desperation will capture His heart and usher in His presence when nothing else can.

Some of us need to make a "nagging phone call to Daddy" right now and say, "Daddy, I want You." It doesn't matter whether we kneel, stand, or lay prostrate on the floor. Any posture is appropriate in the passionate pursuit of His presence.

How will you enter His presence the next time you seek Him? Where is your greatest passion in life? Are you prepared to live the rest of your life as a child in His presence?

The process begins with a simple cry of the heart, a longing of the soul given voice through your conscious choice. We tend to never start because we make things more difficult than they really are. There are no formulas, programs, or seven-step plans to His presence; but there is truthfulness, repentance, and the words of your heart. Just be prepared for Him to answer your cry. It happens so rarely in the environment of religion and hypocrisy that many of us are shocked when God actually answers us! (I would rather be shocked than not.)

I must warn you again that once you begin the progression of frustration, you can never return to "life as usual." It's a lot like getting pregnant. Once it happens, nothing will ever be the same. The heavens are pregnant with purpose right now because God is preparing to birth something. Men and women everywhere are saying they feel "awkward, off balance, and strangely out of place." This ungainly awkwardness of man is typical when God prepares to arrive on the scene.

What Do You Think?

Perhaps you have gone beyond the stage of casual hunger. You have even surpassed the supercharged arena of hunger fueled by passion. You have reached the point of all-out desperation where you no longer act like yourself. You are desperate for an encounter at the face place. Hunger is written all over your face. You have become like Moses who said, in essence, "I'm tired of Your hands; show me Your face, Lord. Show me Your glory".

1. What do you think? Is this an accurate portrait of your spiritual state right now? What are you desperate for?

2. Have you ceased to "act like yourself"? Are you prepared to change forever in His presence when He allows you to "catch" Him?

Scripture Reading: Hosea 14, where the prophet urges the children of Israel to repent and return to the Lord "taking words with them."

1 O Israel, return to the Lord your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; 2 Take words with you, And return to the Lord. Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. 3 Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, 'You are our gods.' For in You the fatherless finds mercy." 4 "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon. 6 His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon. 7 Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall be revived like grain, And grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon. 8 "Ephraim shall say, 'What have I to do anymore with idols?' I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me." 9 Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them.

Prayer There's no turning back now, Lord. It's too late for me. I've fallen for You and I can't get enough of You any other way. I'm desperate for an encounter with You, for an all-out surrender at the face place that leaves me delightfully and permanently addicted to You. If my life becomes a depository for divine purpose, so be it. I'll carry Your dream to full term just for the privilege of seeing Your face.