When we seek the counsel of God, He gives us inside information and the edge on every situation we may encounter or find ourselves in. However, how much we inquire or whether we inquire at all is our choice to make. But to inquire of Him is the best way to go if we want to be spiritually successful. It is possible to live a life of victory, satisfaction, and divine favor—a life of miracle—when we inquire of the Lord and follow Him in all we do.
When we look deeply into David’s life and writings, we find an example (a road map, if you will) of how David postured himself before God and how we also are invited to live our lives. We were created and fashioned to succeed in all we do, having been made in the likeness and image of God—who has never and will never fail, because successful is who He is.
Most people are aware of King David’s shortcomings, sins, and failures, but fewer are aware that David was known as a man after the very heart of God. In Acts 13:22 it is said of David,
“[God] raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.'”
God certainly knew that David would fail, but He also knew that David would try again. He saw David’s sinning and was aware of every shortcoming (as He is for each one of us). But He also saw into David’s spirit and knew that David would run back into His arms—the arms of a loving Father—willing to do and obey all that He would command. God knew that David was a man of absolute faith and resolve in Him.
King David longed for many things, but he understood the truth of where true success and value would be found. He demonstrated it when he wrote and possibly even sang these following words as his own personal anthem.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty . . . of the Lord, and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. (Psalm 27:4 AMPC)
Yet as beautiful and descriptive as these words are, there is no instruction as to how David went about obtaining the answer—or is there? How do we obtain the spiritual guidance we seek? Is it just to simply pray those same words? Or is there some hidden mystery, some undisclosed truth that made David desire the presence of God all the days of his life? Exactly how did David run after the heart of God and obtain His favor? How did David gain this glorious success of beholding and gazing upon the beauty of God?
David’s example of how he went about obtaining his “one thing,” his “one request of the Lord” can be found hidden within the lines of his many Psalms. There we find a great road map, one that demonstrates David’s heart of prayer and pursuit of God in all things, sometimes despite his every emotion.
The following steps are just a few of the many golden nuggets David wrote that can be used to aid us in approaching the Lord to obtain answers and cause us to inherit a successful life in Christ.
1. We begin with assurance, knowing that when we, like David, call upon the Lord, He answers.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice out of His temple,
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. (Psalm 18:6 NASB)
2. We live with a repentant heart.
For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great. (Psalm 25:11 NIV)
3. We embrace humility. Inviting us to step into agreement with who God says we are, humility enables us to harmoniously follow our Shepherd’s leading and to grow in wisdom as we receive His guidance.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble His way. (Psalm 25:9 ESV)
4. We must choose to trust. Trust is a valued character trait the world lacks, and because of this, many find it difficult to trust an invisible God. However, when we choose to lean into God by learning of His heart and His ways, we begin to rely on Him in every circumstance and in every area of our lives. And as we learn Him, we are able to remember His faithfulness, which increases our capacity to trust Him.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7)
5. We choose to love Him. David understood that the choice to love God comes from recognizing and agreeing with the truth that God is the one who gives us the strength to do so—and God’s strength never fails and never gives up.
I will love you, O Lord, my strength. (Psalm 18:1)
6. We practice devotion. Being devoted to something means being focused on that particular thing almost exclusively.
I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8 NASB)
7. We give God the recognition that belongs to Him. Praising God and giving Him the recognition due His name is best done when we wholeheartedly profess our faith and proclaim His marvelous deeds.
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. (Psalm 9:1)
8. We know that He is faithful.
Surely Your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6 NIV)
9. We live obediently before Him.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart. (Psalm 119:34 NIV)
10. We are intentional in our pursuit of Him. In Psalm 63, David pens the purpose for his existence—to pursue God earnestly as his one desire, his one delight, his one defense.
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You. (Psalm 63:1)
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:6–8)
We can achieve success despite life’s obstacles and challenges when we keep our eyes on the Savior and make Him, as David did, our one thing. He is the one who holds our course steady. And He will complete His work in our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 reminds us of this truth, saying of the Lord, “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.“
When David wrote verse four of Psalm 27, he was responding to a lifelong call and invitation from God Himself to draw near and ask of Him. God is drawing us also. When Jesus is the primary focus of our desires and our lives, we ultimately experience victory instead of defeat and spiritual growth instead of stagnation.
How can you seek the Lord as David did?
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