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There are times and seasons in our lives that require us to set aside specific times of seeking the Lord. Times that need us to press into God’s presence to receive His revelation and wisdom.
In today’s article, you’ll learn the three things that happen in your life as you close off the distractions of life and seek God diligently.
Prayer Starter: Dear Father, I ask you to do something transformational in my heart. I ask that you would teach me and reveal what it means to press in and experience You in a new way. In Christ’s name, Amen.
It Happened on the Mountain.
I would like to tell you about a recurring theme in the Bible. The mountain of the Lord is a subject mentioned around 19 times in Scripture, and as I dive into this topic, I want you to know that the mountain of the Lord is a symbolic place of change. It is a place of breakthrough and where we encounter God.
Having encounters with God not only defines who we are but also clarifies who God is.
In Scripture, we see that Moses went to the mountain of the Lord, and there he had an encounter with God. When he came down from the mountain, he had the Ten Commandments, etched by the finger of God, on two stone tablets.
Jesus also went to the mountain of the Lord, and when He came down, He had the names of the twelve apostles. It was also on the mountain of the Lord that Elijah heard the voice of God, and He chose his successor, Elisha.
I wonder what awaits you when you go to the mountain of the Lord.
In Genesis, it says, “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love— Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you” (Genesis 22:1-2, NIV).
I don’t know about you, but I hate taking tests. You just don’t know what the professor or examiner will throw at you, and God was giving Abraham a test. Abraham and Sarah had been waiting for a son, and when they finally got one, they were madly in love with him. Then God decides to give them a pop quiz. God wants to know that He, God, is the first in Abraham’s life. When God tests us, He always focuses on our allegiance and loyalty.
So, I have a question for you, why go to the mountain of the Lord?
I Meet With God.
We go to the mountain of the Lord to meet with God. When Abraham went there, that’s what happened.
I want you to see that God always calls us to do something exceptional if we want to see transformation take place. When you go to the mountain, go with the purpose of meeting with God. He desires to talk with you and discuss your life, allegiance, and destiny. Isaiah puts it this way when he says:
In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3, NIV).
This is just one of the 19 times in the Bible where that phrase, mountain of the Lord, invites us to go and meet with God.
Sometimes you feel like your life is on pause. You may feel disconnected from others, and you’re frustrated. Even though you may seem like you don’t have control over things, you DO control your attitude and desire for the Lord.
Ask yourself, do I hunger and thirst for God?
If you are hungry for the Lord, go to God’s mountain. Go and meet with Him. When you connect with God, He will bring you a fresh perspective and a new intimacy with Him.
Before I go to the mountain, I prepare my heart and start fasting. When you fast, you are turning your plate over to God. You’re letting God know that you are ready for Him to awaken a deep appetite for Him within you.
If you’re serious about going to the mountain of the Lord, I want you to pray and fast.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, said, “Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason, and others have utterly disregarded it.”
I Find Relief.
What happens on the mountain of the Lord? You find relief.
Genesis 22:9-14 (NIV) says, “When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” He said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
As Abraham walks up the mountain, can you imagine what he’s thinking? Maybe he thinks, “If I slay my son, how will I face Sarah?” “How can I even deal with this in my own heart?” And as he walks up the mountain, we see that he finds relief from his internal conflict when he decides to trust God.
Nothing beats having a personal encounter with God. Abraham walked up that mountain filled with grief, chaos, and confusion. And as all the stress was coming to a head, Abraham heard the voice of God, and the test was over.
Don’t let anything take the place of God. The Lord wants to be first in your life, in every dimension, and with all your affections. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength.
Something happens on the mountain.
When you go to the mountain of the Lord, carrying your Isaac, carrying the things that you love, you’re saying, “God, all that I have I am willing to lay down at your feet.” When you go to the mountain, you will find financial, relational, or physical relief when you go to the mountain.
When Abraham felt confused, and there was chaos around him, he went to the mountain and found relief.
What relief are you asking God to give you on the mountain? Let’s believe in God for breakthroughs in every dimension of our lives.
I Gain Rewards.
What happens on the mountain of the Lord? I gain rewards.
Genesis 22:13 (NIV) says, “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Did you know that phrase “the Lord will provide” is where we get that Hebrew term to describe one of the dimensions of God? Jehovah Jireh—the Lord who provides.
The God that we serve is a God that rewards and provides.
The Bible says, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided,” and that’s what God did for Abraham. God provided the ram in the thicket so Abraham wouldn’t have to sacrifice Isaac.
When we go to the mountain, the Lord will provide.
Hebrews 11:6 (GNT) says, “No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek Him.”
I don’t want you to become spiritually anemic. I don’t want you to be someone who praises God but doesn’t pray to Him. I want to encourage you to go to the mountain of the Lord, seek out what He has for you, and get the rewards.
Prayer: Dear Father, I pray we will have a tremendous encounter with you. I pray that you will bring relief and rewards as we seek you. I ask you these things in Christ’s name, Amen.
