SEEK THE FACE OF THE LORD

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV).

What is the meaning of the expression “seek my face?” How can someone know whether they have already “found God’s face” or still need to keep seeking to “find it?”

There is a distinct difference between seeking the hand of God and seeking the face of God. Many of us come to Him searching for answers, for blessings, for provision—asking Him to move His hand in our lives. But Scripture calls us to something deeper: “Seek My face,” says the Lord (Psalm 27:8 ESV). To seek His face is to pursue His presence, not merely His provision. It is to desire Him, not just what He can do.

Seeking the face of the Lord is the posture of a heart that cries, “Lord, I don’t just want answers—I want You.” When Moses asked to see God’s glory (Exodus 33:18), he wasn’t asking for a miracle. He had already seen miracles. He had seen seas part and manna fall. What he wanted was presence—the face of God.

This seeking requires a stillness that our fast-moving world resists. David wrote, “The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple” (Psalm 27:4). Notice his longing was not for protection, success, or clarity but for beauty—for the sheer joy of being with God. To seek His face is to slow down long enough to behold Him, to worship without agenda, to pray without a list of needs, to be present with the One who loves us.

Seeking God’s face invites God’s refining. His nearness exposes things within us that distance kept hidden. If we truly desire His face, we must be willing for Him to search and cleanse our hearts. Seeking is not passive. It invites surrender.

And yet, seeking His face also brings rest. Those who seek His face discover not a distant deity, but a Father who delights in being known. In His presence, burdens lift, anxieties quiet, and identities are restored. To seek His face is to return home.

How do we seek His face daily? Through unhurried prayer—taking time not only to speak but to sit and through Scripture—reading not for information but to reveal His character, through worship—lifting our hearts beyond circumstance into adoration. Sometimes, it’s a whispered prayer in the morning darkness. Other times, it’s a quiet walk, turning attention toward Him. It is intentional, but it is also relational.

Today, let your prayer echo David’s: “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” Not just His help. Not just His gifts. But His face. For when we find Him, we find everything.

Discussion Questions:

    1.    Do I primarily seek God’s hand or His face?

    2.    What distractions keep me from resting quietly in His presence?