Seek God First

Something shifts when you stop asking God for a topic and hear Him answer, “Seeking Me.” We sit with a simple but confronting truth: seeking God is deeper than church attendance, deeper than inspirational posts, and deeper than a moment of emotion. When we pursue God’s face first, alignment starts to happen, and the other things we’ve been chasing lose their power.

We walk through Jeremiah 29 with the context most people skip. Jeremiah 29:11 is spoken to people in captivity, not people living in comfort, which means the promise is real even when the process hurts. We talk about “Babylon” as a picture of a culture that pushes compromise, and we focus on God’s instruction to build while you wait: build your prayer life, your character, your faith, and your obedience. We also name the danger of quick-escape voices and “microwave breakthroughs,” because not every encouraging word is a word from God.

Then we move to Isaiah 45, where God raises up Cyrus, an unexpected vessel, to remind us that God is not boxed in by appearances or labels. We dig into “treasures hidden in darkness,” the kind of private growth that produces wisdom, endurance, healing, discernment, and spiritual authority. Finally, we bring it home with Matthew 6:33 as God’s answer to worry: proper priority changes everything, and distraction is often the real battle.

If you’ve felt distant, weary, or stuck, let this be your reminder that seeking God wholeheartedly is never wasted. Listen, share this with someone who needs realignment, and subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Transcript

Welcome Back And The Theme

SPEAKER_01 0:00

New, new, new, everything new, new, new, new, new, new, everything new. I'm ready to go.

What It Means To Seek God

Jeremiah 29 Beyond The Quote

Build While You Wait In Babylon

Beware Quick Escape Prophecies

Wholehearted Seeking Brings Restoration

Isaiah 45 Cyrus And Hidden Treasures

Distractions, Daily Practices, And Alignment

Affirmations, Prayer, And Closing Charge

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Hello, it is Stephanie L. Harrison, and you're now listening in to Inside Beauty Inspires, where we motivate, encourage, and inspire through biblical principles. I have missed you guys so very much. I'm so happy to be back in the studio. And I have a special treat, a beautiful word that came straight from the throne of God. You know, um, you know, being that I haven't recorded in a while, I asked God today. I asked him, I said, um, Dad, what would you like for me to speak about? And he said, Seeking me. I want you to talk to the people about seeking first the kingdom of God and actually just truly seeking his face. And so we're gonna go ahead and get into this word. Um, when I think about seeking God, I know that this is something very primary to me because Matthew 6.33 says, Seek first the kingdom of God and all of his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you, okay? So, yes, I was. If guys have been listening before, um, I am the girl that asked God to make her the poster child for Matthew 6.33. Um, I figured if I started seeking God's face, what could go wrong? And um I use this illustration um as I still continue to get up every morning um at 6 a.m. where me and the ladies of ISI, shout out to the ladies of ISI, get up and we seek God's face. And this is year number nine. This is year number nine, and boy, have we learned so much. So definitely always, always want to honor those um because they don't have to get up each and every morning. They don't have to tap in, they don't have to get on the prayer call, but they do. And so I just want to shout you ladies out and tell you how very much I am so proud of you guys. I'm so thankful for you. And happy Mother's Day. Um, this is our weekend, amen and amen. Also, shout out to my mothers. Um, I have so many mothers, but happy Mother Days, happy Mother's Day to my mothers, my many mothers. I love you ladies so very much. Amen and amen. So let's get into this word, okay? So this is something that's fun foundational in every believer's life, every believer's life. Seeking God is something that we all must do. Now, um, there is a disconnect because people don't know that he's real. Yeah, you know, there are still controversies um going on outside of this world about whether God is real or not. Um, on, you know, the different um the different believing systems. There's so many different beliefs, you know. You get to pick and choose, but you know, according to the word of God, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. And so I want to get into this word on seeking God's face today, not seeking platforms, not seeking approval, and not seeking validation, not seeking money either, not seeking a relationship first, but seeking God because when you truly seek God, everything else begins to align. Everything else begins to align. So um, you know, I told the ladies um that the word of the year is alignment. The word of the year is alignment. So before we get into this word, I would definitely like to go into prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, first and foremost, I want to say thank you for this day. Thank you for life, health, and strength. Um, thank you because you are not hiding from us, God. Your word says that if we seek you, we will find you. And Father God, I just pray right now for those listeners, those that are listening to me. Um, I ask that you awaken our hunger, God. I ask that you break distractions, uh, break spiritual laziness, break the love of the world, Heavenly Father. Create in us a clean heart and renew the right spirit within us. Teach us how to pursue your presence more than possessions, God. Teach us how to desire your voice more than opinions of people, Heavenly Father. Have your way during this podcast. I pray that every listener has an encounter with you in Jesus' name. I ask all of these things. Amen, amen, in Jesus' name, amen. So let's just talk about this for a little bit. What does it mean to seek God's face? What does it mean to seek God's face? Well, so many people say they know God, but very few truly seek him. And seeking God means pursuing him intentionally, desiring his presence and wanting his will over your own, and choosing relationship over routine. Seeking God is deeper than the church attendance. You can attend church and still not seek God. You can post scriptures and still not seek God. You can sing worship songs and still not seek God. So I just want to address some things today. Seeking God means, Lord, I want you more than anything else. And um, you know, I I love this word today because God is so strategic in all of his ways. Um, we're gonna go to the book of Jeremiah 29. Jeremiah 29. Now you guys know how I like to give the scripture. Um, I like to take an old testament and um bring in the new testament. So we're gonna start right here in the Old Testament, Jeremiah 29. All right, now Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. This was after King Joachim, the Queen Mother, the court officials, and the other officials of Judah, and all the craftsmen and artisans had been deported from Jerusalem. He sent the letter with Elisha, son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah, uh son of Ahilekiah, when they went to Babylon as King Zezekiah's ambassadors to Nazebak Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah's letter said. Now this is what the Lord of Heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem. Build homes and plan to stay, plant gardens and eat the food they produce, marry and have children, then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren, multiply and do not dwindle away, and work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare, for its welfare will determine your welfare. This is what the Lord of heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you, says the Lord. I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land. You claim that the Lord has raised up prophets for you in Babylon. But this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David's throne, and all those still living here in Jerusalem. Your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon, this is what the Lord of Heaven's army says. I will send war, famine, and disease upon them, and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat. Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery. For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are exile have not listened either, says the Lord. Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, all you captives there in Babylon. This is what the Lord of Heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says about your prophets. Ahab, son of Koloa, and Zezed Zedkiah, son of Masaia, who are telling you lies in my name. I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for execution before your eyes. Their terrible fate will become perverable, so that the Judans' exiles will curse someone by saying, May the Lord make you like Zezekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive. For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbor swaves, and have lied in my name, say saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this, I the Lord have spoken. Now, first of all, let's talk about verses one through twenty-three. Let's talk about verses one through twenty-three because the reason why I wanted to go to this uh to this word today was because of some main scriptures that are in the book of Jeremiah. But I also feel as if before I actually go into this word, um, before I go into depth, I want us to understand exactly what's going on in this. And we can really look at this word um as it is um today. The Spirit of the Lord is here. So let's let's talk about verses 1 through 20. Was it 23? Yeah, 1 through 23. All right, so let's talk about it. First of all, before we go through this book, most people know one verse out of this chapter. And that one verse out of this chapter is for I know the plans I have for you, Jeremiah 29, 11. Now, it's so ironic, but how many of you know that everything is not ironic? God is very strategic in everything he does. I always pick a card to share with you guys, and I cannot wait to tell you what the scripture is that I've picked for us today. But let me continue. Many people quote this promise without understanding the process. Many people quote the promise without understanding the process. Jeremiah 29 is not a chapter about instant breakthrough. Let's be clear. It is a chapter about trusting God in uncomfortable places. This chapter was written to people in captivity. God's people have been taken into Babylon and their environment changed. Their comfort changed, their routine changed, but God was still with them. And prophetically, many believers today are in Jeremiah 29. This is your season. The Spirit of the Lord is here. Now, again, I asked him, What did you want me to speak about today? And he wanted me to speak about seeking him. And he wanted me to start in Jeremiah. So, you know, I'm excited about this word this evening. The Spirit of the Lord is here. Now, let's be clear. You love God, but life does not look like what you expected, right? You prayed, but you're still waiting. You obeyed, but the process still hurts. You trusted, but you're still in transition. And Jeremiah 29 teaches us how to survive spiritually while waiting on God's promise. How to survive spiritually while waiting on God's promise. Now, it starts with the letter to captives. And this is powerful because even in captivity, God was still speaking. Now, again, this is a rammer word. Can I encourage someone tonight? Just because your surroundings changed does not mean God stopped talking. Some of us thought because I'm struggling, God left me. Um, because I'm grieving, God forgot about me, or because the season is hard, God abandoned me. And the truth is, no. No, God has not abandoned you. God is still speaking. He's speaking to you right now. You know, I tell you guys I am Stephanie L. Harrison, but I'm prophetess, Stephanie L. Harrison. And um, I'm speaking to you as a vessel for the Lord, from the Lord, for the Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen. Now, let's really talk about this because these people are in Babylon, okay? And what does Babylon represent? I feel like we're in Babylon today, okay? Let's just be clear. Babylon prophetically represents confusion, a worldly system, spiritual compromise, identity warfare. And many believers today are trying to stay holy in Babylon. Yikes. You're trying to keep your integrity, keeping your prayer life, keep your marriage, keep your purity, and keep your mind while living in a culture that consistently pressures compromise. That consistently pressures compromise. But let me tell you something. God is speaking. I still know how to speak to my people in hostile environments. I still know how to speak to my people in hostile environments. The Spirit of the Lord is here. Now, God gives some instructions, right? How many of us follow instructions? You know, this is key. This is key. If you want to live a good life, you have got to follow the instructions of the Lord. In the book of uh, what is it, Deuteronomy 28, he gives us blessings and curses. Moses lays it out for the children of Israel, which are the children of belief. If you do this, things will go well for you. If you don't do this, then there's another part to the puzzle. Spirit of the Lord is here. Now, this means that, you know, whether you're choosing God or not choosing God, the choice has already been made according to Jesus. You know, yeah, in the gospels, Jesus Christ spoke about these things. And I'm just reiterating them today. The Spirit of the Lord is here. So let's look at verses 4 through 7. Build, plant, and multiply. Build, plant, and multiply. This is one of the most shocking parts of the chapter. God tells them, build houses, plant gardens, marry, have children, seek the peace of the city. Now, wait a minute. God did not immediately remove them from Babylon, just like he's not immediately removing us. Okay? Just keep it in a G. Everything that he told them to do in this chapter is what has been done today. See again, this is this is their generation. We're living in a 21st century, and there's another generation, ours. And God is raising up the Jeremiah's, the Davids of this generation. Spirit of the Lord is here. Now, let's talk about this. God did not immediately remove them from Babylon. Instead, he taught them how to remain fruitful there. Now, this is very prophetic because many believers keep postponing obedience, waiting for the perfect conditions. Ouch. It's okay. We've all been there. Once things get better, I'll serve. Once life settles down, I'll heal. Once I get the money, I'll move. Once they apologize, I'll have peace. But God says, build while you wait. Build what? Build your prayer life. Build your character. Build your ministry. Build your faith. Do not waste your wasting. Do not waste your waiting season. Do not waste your waiting season. Some people are so focused on escaping the season that they never learn from it. They never learn from it. And here's the thing in all of our getting, we need to get understanding. God will sometimes leave you in a place long enough to transform you. Because if he removes you too quickly, your character stays immature, your wounds stay unhealthy and unhealed, and your pride stays hidden. And your dependency on people remains. And you do know that's the whole point of it all. Babylon was uncomfortable, but it was also developmental. It was also developmental. Some seasons are not punishment, some seasons are preparation because God's getting ready to do a new thing inside of you. God is getting to getting ready to do a new thing to you and for you. The Spirit of the Lord is here. So you have got to have wisdom in this season. You have to have the spirit of discernment. Why? Because there are false prophets. There are false prophets out here in this world, okay? And God tells us in the book of Jeremiah 29, verses 8 and 9, to beware of them. Now, why does God warn them not to listen to false prophets who promise quick escape? This is extremely relevant. We live in a generation addicted to instant results, emotional hype, quick prophecies, and microwaveable breakthroughs. People want prophecy without process, but every prophetic word still requires obedience. Every prophetic word always still and will forever require refinement, timing. False prophecy often feeds flesh. And you know, I like to tell people this the more you feed your flesh, the more your flesh will want. So imagine if you start feeding your spirit, what will happen? The spirit of the Lord is here. That's correct. Now, it tells people only what they want to hear. Okay. This is so, this is such a real, this is this is this real. It's just real, you know. There's no suffering, there's no pruning, there's no waiting, but real prophetic ministry prepares people for the truth. I'm a truth teller. I don't know how else to be. Spirit of the Lord, the spirit of the Lord is here. So you have to be careful of the voices that make you emotionally excited, but spiritually weak, yikes. Not every encouraging word is a word of God. Not every encouraging word is a word of God. A true word from God will convict you, will mature you, will align you, correct you, strengthen you, and prepare you for greater. God is not raising performers, He's raising purified people. Now, God gives them a time frame. You know, here's the interesting fact numbers matter. And that's for those that are, you know, skeptical. Well, you can't say numbers mean that, man, God used numbers all throughout the Bible. Even have a book called Numbers. The Spirit of the Lord is here. But he gives them this number after 70 years. Now, this verse is important. This verse is important because God literally tells them, you will be here for 70 years. That means the process had a timeline. This is important because sometimes we think, if God loved me, this would have already been over. You're right. But God operates through divine timing, child. You know, everything, to everything, there is a season, according to Ecclesiastes. Some breakthroughs happen suddenly and others happen gradually. And many believers are frustrated because God is growing them slowly. But slow growth often creates strong roots. And let me tell you something, it's a slow and steady wins to race. Like you call me slow motion all day, every day. I'm cool with that, right? I'm cool with that. Because God takes his time. He does. He takes his time. And sometimes God delays manifestations because he is protecting you from premature exposure. If certain days, if certain doors opened too early, the pressure would crush you, pride would consume you, and your foundation would collapse. So God knows how to develop you in private before displaying you public. And it's the most beautiful thing. The Spirit of the Lord is here. Shout out to the ladies of ISI again, because that's exactly what God has been doing with this group of ladies, you know. Um, He's developing us in private because when He's ready for us to go, when He's ready to display us publicly, we will be ready. Now, Jeremiah 29, 11, for I know the plans I have for you. That is Miss Brenda, my other mother. Shout out to my mother, Happy Mother's Day. That is Miss Brenda's verse. I know that verse is for everybody, but that's her verse now. Listen, this is one of the most quoted verses in scripture. But remember, God spoke this promise while they were still in captivity. Ooh. Well, I mean, I think that this word is very fitting. I mean, some of you guys may feel like you're in captivity right now, not sure which way to go, which moves to make. That lets us know something very important, people. God's plans were working even before they saw freedom. God's plan was working before they even saw freedom. This verse is not just about blessing, it's about trusting. God says, I know. You may not know, but guess who do? Spirit of the Lord is here. God knows. And you and you have to understand, you may not understand the delay, but God also understands that. You may not understand the heartbreak, but guess what? God knows. You may not understand the transition, but God knows. And the enemy wants believers to interpret temporary seasons as permanent defeat. But God says, My plans are still intact. My plans are still intact. I want to prophesy to somebody this morning or this evening, this afternoon, whenever you get this word, your God's plans for you are still intact. Your season did not cancel your destiny. Your season did not cancel your destiny. Your mistakes did not erase God's plan. And your delay did not destroy your assignment. God still has purpose for your life. God still has purpose for your life. Now, 12 and 13. This is the reason why I wanted to come to Jeremiah because of these verses right here. This connects beautifully to the scripture. It does. I did not tell the descendants of Jacob to seek me in vain. Now we're going to go to Isaiah 45 because again, God is speaking. He literally says, I would not have told you to seek me if I couldn't have been found. Okay. He does. It's in the word. That's why it's important to read your word. A lot of people, when you say my people perish for lack of knowledge in the Hosea chapter 4, My people perish for lack of knowledge. When I tell you that could not be further from the truth, that's the biggest truth. You don't know. And Jesus even said it in the gospels. He says, You know what? The problem with my people is that they don't know me, they don't know God, and they don't know the scripture. Now think about it. They didn't even recognize Jesus on the scene. And these were his people. These were the Jews. Let's be clear. But God says, When you seek me with your whole heart, you will find me. Now notice, God allowed captivity, but still invited intimacy. That's deep. God allowed captivity, but still invited intimacy. Now, I like to say it this way: the invitation goes out, right? Wisdom speaks. Y'all know Proverbs 8. She speaks. She calls out in the streets to everybody that has a ear. Let them hear what thus says the Lord. Now I'm gonna tell you something. This is powerful because suffering often reveals who truly seeks God. Suffering often reveals who truly seeks God. Some people seek God only for escape. Others seek Him for relationship. And God is looking for seekers, not performers, not religion, religious actors, not image managers, but seekers. Now again, I spoke about what it means to seek God, okay? It has to have some intentionality in it, all right? Um, there has to be a hunger for his presence, not just his hand, a desire for his voice above the culture. Because let me tell you something, the culture is gonna always speak to prioritize, to prioritize the relationship over routine. See that what you're really saying is, God, I want you more than I want comfort. I want you more than I want comfort. And then what does God say? I will restore you. God promises restoration, not just freedom, restoration. Now, restoration means healing, rebuilding, recovering, renewing, and redeeming. God is a restorer. He is a restorer. He restores your joy, your identity, your purpose, your peace, your vision, and most importantly, your faith. And prophetically, many people are entering a restoration season after a long warfare. But restoration also requires what? Surrender. Yes, it requires surrender. You cannot heal while clinging to what broke you. You cannot heal. You cannot heal while clinging to what broke you. Okay. God still speaks in difficult seasons. The Spirit of the Lord is here. Now I want us to go over to uh Isaiah. Yeah, I want us to go over to the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 45. All right, Isaiah 45 says, This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates, gates will be opened, never to shut again. This is what the Lord says. I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron, and I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness, secret riches. Secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of my servant Jacob, Israel, my chosen one. I am the Lord, there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don't even know me. So all the world from east and west, east to west, will know that there is no other God. I am the Lord and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I see in good times and bad times. I the Lord am the one who does these things. Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide, so salvation and righteousness can sprout sprout up together. I the Lord created them. What sorrow awaits those who argue with their creator? Does a clay pot does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, Stop, you're doing it wrong? Does the pot exclaim, How clumsy can you be? How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father, Why was I born? Or if it said to its mother, Why did you make me this way? This is what the Lord says, the Holy One of Israel and the Creator. Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? I am the one who made the earth and created people to live in it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command. I will rise, I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people without seeking a reward. I, the Lord of heaven's armies, have spoken. This is what the Lord says. You will this is what the Lord, what this is what the Lord says. You will rule the Egyptians and the Ethiopians and the Sabines. They will come to you with all their merchandise, and it will be yours. They will follow you as prisoners in chains. They will fall to their knees in the front of you and say, God is with you, and he is the only God. There is no other. Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in mysterious ways. All craftsmen who make idols will be humiliated. They will be disgraced together. But the Lord will save the people of Israel with eternal salvation, and throughout everlasting ages, they will never again be humiliated and disgraced. For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and the earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. I am the Lord, he says, and there is no other. I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper of scrutinies in some dark corners. I would have not told I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right. Now that's the reason why I wanted to come over here to this verse, okay? I did. Isaiah 45, verse 19. So I want us to talk about verses 1 through 19. Spirit of the Lord is here. Now again, the book of Isaiah is a chapter, it's deeply prophetic because true story. It reveals the serenity of God, the power of divine purpose, and the danger of pride, the reality of hidden treasures, and the truth that God can use anybody he chooses. God can use anybody he chooses. Isaiah 45 introduces us to a shocking reality. God raised up a man named Cyrus. Now, this is important because Cyrus was not an Israelite king, he was a pagan ruler. Yet God calls him my anointed. And this chapter destroys religious assumptions because sometimes God will use people we never expected. I.e., for example, I could say me. The Spirit of the Lord is here because again, when God uses a person, he doesn't get your permission. He uses who he pleases. Now, God said, This is my anointed one. This is powerful because God called Cyrus his anointed, even though Cyrus did not fully know him yet. And prophetically, this teaches us something about God. He is not limited to religious boxes, okay? Sometimes we think God only uses church people. Yikes. That's that Pharisee spirit, by the way. God only uses polished people. Those are pretenders. God only used perfect people. There's not one perfect person, okay? But throughout scripture, God uses shepherds, fishermen, former murderers, outsiders, uh, broken people, and unexpected vessels. God specializes in using what others overlook. And I love it. I absolutely love it. Never underestimate who God can use. Some of the people society rejected. I know. And these are the people that God anointed. And some people were counted out because of their past, their backgrounds, their failures, their educational levels, even their appearance. But God says, guess what? Guess what? I look at the heart. That's right. God looks at the heart. This is why believers must stop idolizing appearances while ignoring character. God cannot, well, let me back up. God can annoy people that religion ignores. He does. He truly does. Listen, we're in the book of 1 Samuel. We're speaking about um, like this morning we spoke about uh jealousy. We spoke about how now Saul is jealous of David. And he's gonna, you know, we we already know the story. Now, God anointed David. David was in the field with the sheep. David was not trying to be anointed. David was not trying to be noticed, he was not in the house, he was outside in the field. Catch it. The Spirit of the Lord is here. He was in the field. Now, again, God used people that's unexpected because again, when it made me think about when David's on his way down there to give his brother some food, and they're looking at him, and it's um for his brother, the one that uh Samuel looked at and said, This must be the Lord's anointing. You know, he he looked at David like he was a little cocky, you know. He act like he knows things, and you're just in the way. But no, David was actually sent. Don't miss it. The Spirit of the Lord is here. David was actually sent. Now, God tells Cyrus, I would go before you, I will break gates of bronze, I would cut bars of iron. This is prophetic for this generation. There are some doors only God can open. Human effort cannot open them. Connections won't open them, and manipulation will not open them. Only our dad can. Only our father. Some of you have been fighting doors with flesh, trying to force relationships, force opportunities, or force ministry, force timing. But when God truly opens the door, no demon, no delay, no opposition, and no human being can stop it. None. Now, this is one of the deepest revelations of the chapter because God says, I will give you treasures hidden in darkness. Notice the treasure was hidden. And sometimes God allows hidden seasons because hidden places produce hidden riches. What are hidden treasures? What are hidden treasures? Hidden treasures can represent wisdom, maturity, spiritual authority, healing, discernment, endurance, revelation, intimacy with God. And many people want visible blessings without hidden development. Many people want visible blessings without hidden development, but private seasons build public strength. Spirit of the Lord is here. Some of your greatest growth happened in hidden places. I can speak to this. Painful seasons, lonely seasons, grieving seasons, misunderstood seasons, one I know all too well. The enemy thought isolation would destroy you, but God used hidden places to strengthen you. Now, God says it in Isaiah 45, I am the Lord and there is no other. God repeatedly, repeatedly declares his sovereignty. This chapter keeps emphasizing, I am God. Why? Why keep telling us that he's God? Because humanity constantly creates idols. Modern idols may not look like golden statues, but people still worship money, influence, platforms, appearance, and politics. Anything you depend on more than God can become an idol. And God will sometimes allow instability and earthly things, so he learned not to worship them. Some people lost jobs, relationship, comfort, and plans, and it forced them back into prayer. Yes, God's hand was a part of the equation because God refuses to share his glory with idols. He's just not gonna do it. You're not gonna give no calf. Y'all know the story. You're not gonna give no calf to praise. It's like the calf brought you out of the water when God used Moses to bring you out. Okay. Spirit of the Lord is here. But this is the foolishness that we still deal with today. And God said, no, not having that. Not. Now, verse 8. This verse speaks of spiritual awakening because look, wake up, God wants to talk. And yes, it's a perfect, uh, a perfect little plug-in right here to purchase the book. Wake Up God Wants to Talk is on Amazon. It's my it's my first book, and um, and it's centered because we get up and seek God's face each and every morning, and he gives us insight to his sight, right? He gives us the wisdom, not the wisdom of this world, but the wisdom of the word. So again, wake up, God wants to talk, Amazon.com. Now, here's the thing: the earth was dry spiritually, and the earth still is dry spiritually, and God was calling for righteousness to spring forth. Prophetically, we're living in a generation thirsty for truth. People are exhausted from fake appearances, shallow religion, performance Christianity, and motivational messages without transformation. People need the presence of God again. They really do. I mean, I see so many things on my Facebook live feed or whatever. And, you know, they're always talking about relationships, right? But it's like, do you think that you should add God to the equation? Like, I'm just saying, what happens when you add God to the equation? I mean, I can only tell you what happens when I added them to mine. But um, I do believe something happens when you actually do. Now, woe to him who strives with his maker. In other words, this verse addresses pride. The clay questions the potter. Y'all do know me made of dirt and water. Okay. The clay pot to the potter. How many times do we question God? Why this season? Why this delay? Why, why, why, why, why? And while questions are human, pride becomes dangerous when we believe we know better than God. That's a crazy place to be. You don't want to be in a place thinking you know more than a creator. Sometimes disappointment comes from expecting God to move according to our preferences instead of his wisdom. And God sees things that we cannot see. Dangers we cannot detect, timing we cannot understand, and future outcomes we cannot predict. This is why trust matters. You have to trust him, believe him, and never doubt him. Now, God establishes purpose. God reminds them that he formed creation itself, meaning, if God can govern the universe, he can handle your life. This chapter constantly pulls us back to divine serenity. God is saying, I'm still in control though. I'm still in control. Even when nations shift, economies shake, systems fail, God still remains what? The king? The king. Now again, many believers are anxious because the world feels unstable. Well, the world is unstable in a sense, but Isaiah 45 reminds us that God is never nervous. He is not listen to me. Listen to me, please just listen to me. God is not surprised by the stuff that's going on outside. I don't understand why people think that he is. And if they get into the word, they'll understand. No, he's not surprised by any of the political chaos, uh the spiritual warfare, um, the global uncertainty. He already sees the end from the beginning. So he already knows what's up. Now, this is pretty deep. Truly, you are a God who hides himself. Now, sometimes God feels hidden, not absent, but hidden. And there are seasons in all of our lives where prayer feels quiet, answers seem delayed, and direction feels unclear. And believers may wonder, where is God? If God loved us, if God, if God, if God, but hiddenness does not mean abandonment. God often hides himself so we will seek him more. Yes, some people only pursue God when they need rescue. Um, they want him to be a genie in a bottle. They want the hand of God instead of the presence, and that's a problem. But mature believers learn how to pursue him for relationship. So it brings me to verses 18 and 19. God says, I did not tell Jacobs to send this to seek me in vain. I did not tell you to seek me if I couldn't be found. This is very powerful. Prayer is not pointless. Seeking God is not wasted. Waiting on God is not empty. The enemy wants believers to think nothing is happening. God forgot about me, and prayer doesn't matter. But heaven responds to genuine pursuit. Heaven responds to genuine pursuit. The Spirit of the Lord is here. So you see, there are so many chapters that I can go on and on about when it comes down to seeking God's face and what it truly does mean. Let's think about it. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you're going to find me. God did not say, if you casually think about me, he said wholeheartedly, meaning sincerity, consistently, with desperation, with hunger. Now, many people stop seeking God. Well, why do they stop seeking God? Because of distractions. We're living in one of the most distracted generations ever. Phones, social media, comparison, entertainment, noise. And the enemy understands something. If he can distract you, he can delay you because distracted people stop discerning. Spirit of the Lord is here. Distracted people stop discerning. Now again, Matthew 6 says, Matthew 6, 33 says, seek the kingdom above all else. Now, God never said seek everything else first. He said, seek first the kingdom of God. So me in my childlike faith, because I know I have like a child, I do. Ah, just daughter. Hey, so dad, if I started seeking you, um, all these things be added to me. And to my surprise, all these things were added to me. Spirit of the Lord is here. Sometimes disappointment makes people stop pursuing God. A prayer wasn't answered how they expected it to be. Someone betrayed them. They got tired, they became weary. But hear me by the Spirit of the Lord. Pain should push us to God, not away from Him. Pain should push us to God, not away from Him. Pride makes people think, I got this on my own. But when you truly seek God, humility is required. Seeking says, Lord, I need you every single day. Now, what happens when you seek God? God gives direction. You right? Guess it. He gives direction. He speaks back. Now, Proverbs 3, 5, 6, love, love, love. Why? Because it says, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. Acknowledge him and he will direct your path. Now, when you seek God, confusion begins to break. God starts ordering your steps, he starts revealing who is assigned to you. Yeah, they'll start to come up. What season you're in, what needs to end, and what needs to begin. This is some of the things that God does when you start pursuing him. He needs you to trust him. He will reveal you to yourself. One of the hardest things about seeking God is this. He will show you you. How many of us can look in the mirror and be okay with the person that we see? Now I can. I honestly can because I know I'm imperfect. I thank God every single day for his word. I need his grace and his mercy. Amen. And so do you. And guess what? We all have a measure of that grace. I cannot tell you your measurement and you cannot tell me mine. He will show you. One of the hardest things about seeking him is showing you yourself. Not just your gift, not just your purpose, but your heart posture. Yes, your heart posture. Seeking God exposes pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, insecurity, hidden wounds. And that's why many people stop because transformation requires surrender. Transformation requires surrender. And God changes your desire. The more you seek God, the less the world satisfies you. Things you used to crave begin to lose power. And your appetite changes. Your conversation changes, your music changes, your circle changes, and your desires change. And you know, um, one day soon, I'm gonna have a couple of ladies come in on the podcast, you know, and I want them to give their um their testimonies of what God has been doing in their lives um since they've joined the prayer call. I have uh many new members on there, some of those that have been with me since nine years. Shout out to Gloria Miller. But um again, you're able to see uh a thing, you're able to see a new thing. The Spirit of the Lord is here. Now, here's some examples um as we come um closer to the end. Here's some examples of seeking God, okay? David, Psalms 27, verse 8. My heart has heard you say, Come and talk with me. And my heart responds, Lord, I am coming. Now, David was not perfect, but David was a seeker. Yes, he was. That is why God called him a man after his own heart. Mary and Martha, one of my favorite stories. Why? Because I would be Mary in this story. Martha was busy. Mary was present. Martha was in the kitchen and literally didn't say nothing to Mary and went straight to Jesus. Will you tell my sister to come here and help me, Martha? Martha, you are worried about many things. But Mary chose the better one, and that will not be taken away from her. I know I did quote it the exact same way, but you get the drift. It's Luke 10, verses 38 through 42. Many believers today are Martha's busy doing things for God without spending time with God. Without spending time with God. Then there's Exodus 33. I thought I was going to go to Exodus 34. But the Lord would speak to Moses face to face. Why? Because Moses understood something powerful. God's presence matters more than performance. God's presence matters more than performance. Now, you know, many people are seeking answers but not seeking God. We do seek all of these other things above God, influence, money, platforms, marriages, all of these things. But God is saying, seek me first, because when you find God, you find peace, you find identity, you find wisdom, and you find clarity. Some people are exhausted because they're chasing everything except the presence of God. They are chasing everything but the presence of God. Now, I'm going to give you a couple of ways to seek God daily because again, I have a prayer call, 6 a.m. every morning, nine years in. Spend time in the word. That's the one I changed that one thing that changed everything in my life. And I'm telling you, you too can change that one thing that will change everything in your life. You cannot know God deeply without his word. You cannot know God deeply without his word. Then you must pray daily. Prayer is not performance, prayer is a relationship. Okay. Worship consistently. Worship shifts atmosphere and softens the heart. And fast when you're led to fast, because fasting weakens the flesh and strengthens the spiritual sensitivity. And that's another thing that the word of God will do as well. Yes, when you become, when you become closer to God, you gain a little bit more sensitivity in the spiritual realm. So you're able to pick up on a lot of different things. Then sometimes seeking God requires disconnecting from the noise. So you may have to remove some distractions. It's okay. It is okay. Allow God to have his way. The Spirit of the Lord is here. Now, again, I want us to know that God is not hiding from his people. Seeking Him is never empty, and pursuing His presence always produces something. God honest those who genuinely seek him. God honors those who genuinely seek him. He does. Hebrews 11, 6 says, He rewards those who sincerely seek him. Jeremiah 29, 13 says, if you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. And Matthew 7, 7 says, seek and you will find, knocking, the door shall be open, asking it shall be given. So, you know, again, whenever we start to seek God's face, something happens in the spiritual realm. Something happens in the spiritual realm. The Spirit of the Lord is here. You see, at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, God knows your name, just like he knows mine. God sees you, God knows you. He knows that he knows the plans he has for you. You know, yes, you may be attending church, but seeking God is more than church attendance. Seeking God again means spending time with him, reading his word. Not performative, not being performative, okay? We live in a world that's distracted, and God doesn't want us to continue to live like that, okay? Like I was giving you the example of Martha and Mary, okay? Martha truly was busy and overwhelmed too. But what was Mary doing? Sitting at Jesus' feet. And then Jesus is gonna tell Mary, you chose the better thing. This generation is full of distracted believers. Busy but disconnected spiritually, active but empty internally, visible but lacking intimacy. And God is calling his people back to his feet again. He wants us to understand, I know you. I got the plans, I know the plans. You don't know the plans. How do you think you're gonna know the plans? How you gonna know the plans if you don't spend time? God knows who we are, he knows exactly who you are. So you have to seek him while you can. Seek him while you can. Now I want us to take a look at one more thing here. Because yes, I did kind of harp on 633, right? Because it really is about my life, it is a reflection of 633. It truly is. See again. Matthew 6.33 says, seek the first kingdom. Now, he spends the chapter talking about worrying, anxiety, money, earthly treasures, divided loyalty. This is important because again, Matthew 6.33 is God's answer to anxious living. People were worried about food, clothing, survival, tomorrow, provision. And honestly, many believers today are battling the same things. Look at the economy. Fear about the future. But Jesus says your answer is not about worrying, and it's not in worrying. Your answer is in proper priority. If you seek first, that means crave the word, prioritize the word, intentionally go after. That is pursued. God never intended believers to casually approach him. Seeking him means I desire God above everything else. So you have to ask yourself this question: what are we truly seeking first in today's society? Because again, many people are seeking money first, validation first, social media attention, and then try to squeeze God in afterwards. Hello, somebody. But Jesus says, no, that ain't it. That is not it. He says, seek me first. Now, whatever is first controls everything. I need you to understand the words that are coming out of my mouth. Whatever is first controls everything. Whatever is first in your life shapes your decisions, your emotions, your priorities, your focus. And some people have face, have placed uh fear first, trauma first, relationships first instead of God. And when God is not first, other things begin ruling your heart. Yikes. Yikes. Now I want us to think about something that God says. God says, seek the kingdom. The kingdom of God, seek the kingdom, not seek religion, the kingdom. And what does the kingdom represent? God's rule, God's authority, God's will, God's way of living, and God's government. Kingdom living means God, your will matters more than mine. God, or I call them dad. Dad, I want what you want. I want what you want for me. I because I might choose. Uh-uh. You do. Spirit of the Lord is here. Now, the kingdom challenges self-centered living. Because culture says do what feels good. And the kingdom says obey God. Culture says follow your heart. The kingdom says guard your heart. Culture says promote yourself. The kingdom says humble yourself. Culture says live for yourself. The kingdom says die the flesh. Now, righteousness means standing right, standing with God. I want to just pull this in. Abraham was made righteous with God because of his belief. Okay. That's it. He believed and God counted him righteous. Not perfection, not pretending, not performance. His belief. And that's the alignment. You got to believe that God is who he says he is. God is not just out there gifted people. He is about, he is out there surrender people. Why? Because he needs us, he needs a vessel. Many people won't influence without righteousness, platforms without purity, visibility without character. But the kingdom is not built on charisma alone. Your character matters, yo. Integrity matters, purity matters, and obedience matters above all things else. Above all things. Now notice the order. Jesus never said chase things, he said seek God. And many people are exhausted because they are chasing what only God can provide. Some are chasing peace, approval, fulfillment. But only God satisfies deeply. And again, what you chase reveals what you trust. And I'm glad to say it, some people trust money more than God. They trust people more than God, opportunities more than God, the system more than God. But Matthew 6.33 teaches dependency on God. But Matthew 6.33 teaches dependency on God. Jesus connects worry and priority together. Because when God is not first, fear increases and comparison increases. Burnout increases as well. People become spiritually drained, trying to control everything themselves, but seeking God first shifts the burden. Some believers are tired because they are carrying responsibilities God never asked them to carry. You are never meant to control everything, people. You are never meant to fix everybody, force every door, manipulate outcomes. Seeking first the kingdom means, God, I trust your leadership. God, I trust your leadership. So you see, again, we live in a world of distraction, right? We live in a distracted world, and people check their phones more than they check their hearts. People know trends better than scriptures. And people pursue influence more than intimacy. And many believers are spiritually starving while surrounded by content. When you start to seek God, you see something totally different. You see something totally different. Again, there are things that change. Your priority shifts, your mind changes, the discernment increases, peace increases, purpose becomes clearer. Again, this is about alignment. This is about alignment. God wants your heart, God wants your focus, and more importantly, God wants your trust because God refuses to be an afterthought. And you shouldn't make him an afterthought either. You shouldn't. Again, I just want to speak prophetically to you guys real quick here. Some people and some of you ladies and gentlemen have been seeking answers instead of seeking God. And I want to give you the opportunity to seek him. Instead of seeking opportunities or validations, seek him because something happens when you do. And some things you have been stressing over, God says, if you seek me first, I'll handle the rest. I'll handle the rest. I got the world in the palm of my hands. And he truly does have the what's the what's the song say? He got the whole world in his hands because he truly does have the whole world in his hand. Seeking God shows you who you really are at the end of the day. Seeking God shows you that. You know what? I thought it was different. I thought there was no other way I could do this, but I think that there's another way. And I think that that way is today. So this is my encouragement for you guys today. If you feel distant from God, this is your reminder. God is not rejecting you, He's calling you closer. And the hunger you feel is not random. It's an invitation. I'm gonna leave you guys with the word of the day. So I told you guys I picked a card, right? And the card that I picked was Jeremiah 29, 11. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans for welfare, not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Now, God's divine favor, you know, affirmations are so important to me, and this is what it says. God's divine favor causes privileges that I'm not even aware of to come to me. God's divine favor causes privileges that I'm not even aware of to come to me. I recognize and I affirm that God's divine favor is working in me and for me today. Hallelujah. I recognize and I affirm that God's divine favor is working in me and for me today. I am always at the center of God's perfect will for my life. I am always at the center of God's perfect will for my life. I go in the right direction for the right purpose and at the right time. I go in the right direction for the right purpose and at the right time. And God's blessing places me in the center of God's plan and God's will. God's blessing places me in the center of God's plan and God's will. I also have one of my little pop-up cards. It says there's something about you that people notice right away. It's a light that beams outward and brightens everything it touches. I pray that this word brightens up your day. I pray that it shows you how important you are. As a matter of fact, let's go into prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, I want to say thank you for this word. Thank you for giving us insight to your sight. Thank you for teaching us to seek you again. Not casually, not emotionally, God, but wholeheartedly as your word tells us. Restore prayer lives, God. Restore the hunger and restore intimacy with you. Break every distraction, break spiritual complacency, Heavenly Father. Break every idol fighting for our attention. Let us seek your presence more than popularity, God. Your voice more than validation, your will more than comfort. Heavenly Father, we thank you right now. And Lord, I pray that you continue to allow Inside Beauty Inspires to be a place where hearts are transformed by your spirit. It is in Jesus' mighty and matchless name that I ask all of these things. Amen. Amen. In Jesus' name. Amen. Listen, you guys have an amazing day on purpose. Peace. Everything.

SPEAKER_01 57:57

I'm ready to go.