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Today's devotional reading for: A National Day Of Prayer To See God“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways …” — 2 Chronicles 7:14 A multitude of presidents through the years have declared a National Day of Prayer. And our country needs prayer. In fact, I think this country needs our prayers now more than ever before, except perhaps during the War for Independence and the Civil War. We desperately need a national revival. Unless we have one, I believe that America, as we know it, won’t exist much longer. And if America falls, virtually the entire missionary enterprise of the Church could come to a screeching halt. But if America turns back to God, He could prevent this country’s demise. If we need to be convinced of the importance of national revival, we need look no further than the Israelites. In ancient Israel prophets arose and proclaimed the destruction of Israel unless that nation turned back to God. But the people mocked the prophets and ignored them, telling them to go tell their doleful tales elsewhere. Yet true to the prophets’ words, the Assyrians came down like wolves in a pack, fiercely and cruelly defeating Israel, and ancient Israel (not to be confused with ancient Judah) never recovered. Had the Israelites turned back to God when He spoke His intentions through the prophets, they wouldn’t have met with such a devastating fate. If our nation, like Israel, needs national revival, then what is it and how can we bring it about? William Sprague defines national revival like this: “Wherever you see religion rising up from a state of comparative depression to a tone of increased vigor and strength, wherever you see professing Christians becoming more faithful to their obligations and behold the strength of the Church increased by fresh accessions of piety from the world, there is a state of things which you need not hesitate to denominate a revival of religion.” How can we bring this about? By doing what our government has set this day aside for us to do—pray. Will you join me and millions of others in praying for the spiritual revival of this great nation? “Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin, and “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” — Matthew 5:8 Some have called the concept of seeing God “the brightest star in the Beatitudes’ constellation.” For ages, Christians have longed to see God. The mystics of the Middle Ages rejoiced in the concept of seeing God, calling it the “Beatific Vision.” This vision was the great quest of theology and even the quest of science as originally constructed—through the examination of the cosmos, humans hoped to more clearly see the Creator. But Scripture explicitly states that no human can see God directly and live. Yet many still seek to do so. Philip the Apostle said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Even pagan princes have sought to see God. In the ancient Roman Empire, Trajan said to a believer in the true God, “I understand that you believe your God is everywhere . . . I should very much like to see Him.” The believer responded, “I am afraid, sire, that no mortal eye can look upon His glory.” Nonetheless, the king commanded the believer to show him God. The believer suggested to the king that he first look at God’s ambassadors before he look God in the face. With that, the believer led the king outside on a bright, dazzling day and told the king to look at the sun. The king responded, “I cannot, for the light dazzles my eyes!” The believer then explained that if the king could not look at a mere ambassador that carries a message of God’s creation, how could he possibly look into the face of God Himself? We cannot see God with our limited human eyes. But we can see Him with our souls, experiencing His joy, His peace, and His serenity. I hope that you have the blessing of seeing God this way as you foster a pure heart. “Jesus, the very thought of Thee, with sweetness fills my breast,
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