Welcome to Day 21. for one of our short powerful devotions from the 31 Bible Verses About Practicing The Presence Of God. This short devotional is based on Matthew 6:33.
Read Matthew 6:33.
Matthew 6:33 meaning
Matthew 6:33 is part of Jesus' teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. The previous bible verses are so encouraging if you are filled with anxiety. Jesus has just given an animated teaching about God's provision. Jesus wants His followers to understand how carefully God watches over them and us and that He is aware of their every need!
Matthew 6:33 also emphasizes making God’s kingdom and His righteousness our foremost objective in life, and in doing so, we can trust that God will manage all other aspects of our lives. This isn't a transactional relationship, but rather a reflection of God's divine nature and provision.
Matthew 6:33 begins the third part of our 31 Bible Verses About Practicing The Presence Of God. Over the next 11 days, we will be studying 11 Bible verses about seeking God. So make sure to catch all 31 devotionals. You can see the list HERE.
Join me below for a short devotional and we will discuss how to seek God and join me in prayer too at the bottom of the post!
What does it mean to Seek God First - Matthew 6:33?
What does Matthew 6;33 mean when it says to seek God first?
It is so important to seek God first in all things. It is actually a very wise thing to do.
When you seek God first, you gain His perspective and it may even give you such clarity when making choices and decisions that it changes your original plans.
What does it mean to seek God?
There are numerous commands throughout the Bible to seek God. Obviously, it doesn't mean that the people of that time misplaced God and had to search for Him. They already knew Yahweh.
So why were the Israelites commanded to seek God?
It is a matter of a passionate heart for God. It is all about people passionately seeking the presence of God.
To seek God means to pursue God relentlessly in place of other less valuable things. Here is a wonderful scriptural promise:
How to seek God
So how do we seek God?
I have compiled a list (which is not exhaustive!) on steps to seeking God:
Read your Bible daily. It is a living, breathing letter from God straight to your heart! Take your time with it. With our bible reading plans, I am encouraging you to take 1 or 2 bible verses and to meditate on them throughout the day. Use the links in these devotionals to get more background information on some of the Hebrew words and the context of the portions of scripture that we are reading.
Seek God's presence throughout the day. Consciously invite God into all your situations. I love to pray before I drive and while I am driving. I am amazed at some of the conversations that come up, that I didn't even know were lurking in my heart. I have also avoided a few accidents because I was listening to that still voice of God prompting me to slow down or speed up!
Sitting in silence. Another awesome way to practice the presence of God is to sit and listen for His voice. To be honest, this for me is not the easiest thing to do. I find it hard to sit still in silence and not let my mind wander but when you sit still and actively listen for God's words sweeping over your heart, you will be so blessed!
Spend time with other believers. Meet with them regularly within the church and in small groups. Encourage each other with God's words of truth. Build each other up in Christ.
Seeking God in prayer. Pray about everything at all times. Seek God's perspective in all your situations. Remember our verse today, Matthew 6:33. We are called to seek God first and then He promises to give us what we need. This promise refers to our basic daily needs. It may be food or a home, or clothes. I have seen God provide for my family miraculously with items for daily living. God has provided wood for our fire, money for bills that had not even arrived yet, that I had forgotten to set money aside for. God even provided vouchers for us to buy Christmas presents for our family when my husband was training for church ministry!
Have you more tips to share about how to seek God?
Remember God watches over you and He is aware of your every need.
Use the following questions to help you go deeper into what God is saying to you through our bible verse today and download our free guided prayer journal to help you sit still and seek God's presence. You will find it in our Resource Library.
Today's devotional is based on Matthew 6:33 which is from our Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures Plan. You will find a free printable PDF of 31 scriptures about God's presence in the Resource Library. It has a bible reading plan, guided prayer, and gratitude journal. Download this free printable or grab a notebook and answer the following questions.
What is God saying to you through this verse?
What burdens do you need to surrender to God and trust Him with?
Write out your prayer request.
What are you grateful for today? Count your blessings!
Write out the scripture verse, it helps you to memorize the scripture and store up God's truth in your heart.
Then in the last section of the prayer journal, there is space to record what God is speaking to you through our bible verse today, Matthew 6:33.
Seeking God In Prayer
We are called to pray without ceasing. That means we can talk with God at any time and in any place. This is a great way to practice the presence of God. Praying scripture is a powerful way to pray so join me in praying Matthew 6:33.
Father thank you that You watchfully care for me. You know all my needs and You desire to meet them! Fill my heart with a deep yearning to seek You. Help me to keep my eyes on You, to seek Your face, and trust You to meet every one of my needs. Forgive me for my lack of faith and for not always seeking You first. Amen.
Related Resources:
You will find Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures HERE. It will have the list of 31 Bible verses that we are using for 31 days that our short powerful daily devotionals are based on.
Our Practicing The Presence Of God devotional Bible study is available to purchase as a printable/digital study. It includes prayer prompts to guide you through praying and applying the scripture for each day. It also includes bonus discussion questions, perfect for use in a group setting. Read all about it HERE.
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Blessings, Karen xo.