Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical dot net. 2 Samuel chapter 21 verse 1. Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year, and David sought the face of the Lord. I want to lead us to pray according to this verse because of the simple picture it represents. And by saying simple, I don't mean to minimize the significance of three years of famine, year after year. Even the way the Bible emphasizes that makes clear this was a significant, horrible time. But that's the point. There was dire need among God's people. So what did David do? He sought the face of the Lord. So when we face great needs, challenges, obstacles, trials in our lives, may this be what we do. Seek God's face instead of so many other things we might be tempted to do first. I don't know about you, but sometimes when I face challenges, I immediately start thinking, okay, what can I do to solve this? How can I fix this? What do I need to do? What do others need to do instead of my first impulse being, let me seek the face of the Lord. Let me get alone with God and just seek his face. So when you and I walk through trials, challenges, when we hear news or we face circumstances, obstacles, hardship, may our first impulse be, I need to get alone with God. I just need to seek his face. May that be true of our lives. And not just when we face challenges, but when others are facing challenges and we're alongside them, let's seek God on their behalf. Let's seek God for them and encourage them to seek God. So let's pray according to 2 Samuel 21:1. God, we pray that our first impulse from the very beginning of each day would be to seek your face. Yes, God, may that be the story of our lives. We wake up every morning seeking your face. And then, oh God, especially when we walk through challenges, through trials, when we face hardship and we come upon circumstances where we don't know what to do or we're desperate for help. God, may our first impulse be to seek your face. We praise you, God, for the opportunity to seek your face, for the resources that are found in you. Why would we not do this? Why would we try to fix things ourselves immediately? Why would we try to solve things ourselves when the reality is every good thing comes from you? God help us to seek your face first, just like you call us to, Jesus, knowing Matthew chapter 6, verse 33. All these things will be added to us. You will give us everything we need as we seek you and your kingdom above all. And then, God, we pray that as we seek your face, you would lead us, guide us, help us know what to do, when to do this or that. Help us to do the things you are calling us to do as we trust in you. Oh God, forgive us for not seeking your face first. And help us to be a people who seek your face first every day and in everything we face. God, help us to live seeking your face and helping others to seek you and know you. God help us to encourage others who are walking through trials today. Help us to seek your face on their behalf, to intercede for them. And God, we pray you'd help us to lead other people, to know you, to enjoy you, to seek you. May that be the fruit of our lives, us seeking you and others seeking you because of our lives. God, we pray this over the whole country of Myanmar today for 54 plus million Burmese, men, women, children, so many who are unreached, and so many Christians who do live in Myanmar. I just think of brothers and sisters I know there. God, please bless your church in Myanmar to seek your face, to lead multitudes of others, millions in Myanmar who don't know you to seek your face. Oh God, may this be the priority in our lives to seek your face all day long, every day, and everything. In Jesus' name we pray, who makes seeking your face possible. Amen.