Start the year by seeking to know God’s heart in 2022, writes Pastor Eric Toleafoa of the Seventh-day Adventists Church.

Deep down, I truly believe every Christian wants to experience a deeply personal and intimate relationship with God. And I also believe each and every believer in Christ can have this kind of relationship with their Creator.

There is often a problem in how we approach God. We often go to Him looking for rewards, or we are constantly asking Him for things. Now, I am not saying that we should not go to God with our cares and burdens. In fact, He tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 to tell Him about our concerns because He cares so much for us. 

But if you want to know God, I mean, really know Him, Moses prayer in Exodus 33:13, 18 is a good place to start. “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.”

Moses did not say, come with us God, but he said, “Show me Your way because, God, I want to know You.” Moses added, “Please, show me Your glory.”

In essence Moses is saying, ‘God, I want to know what You’re made of. I don’t just want to know about You. I want to know You. I want to know who You are.’

The word that Moses used when he said he wanted to know God is the same word that is used in Genesis 4:1 where it says, “Adam knew Eve his wife.” Moses is requesting to have the most personal, intimate relationship with God. He wants to draw close to God.

This kind of prayer touches the heart of God.

I was quite surprised one day when a gentleman came to my office and said, “I was thinking about you today and the load that you are carrying … I just thought I will pop in as I was passing by to offer you words of encouragement and pray for you.”

I was silent for a moment and with tears in my eyes I said to him, ‘people walk through this door every day, and they want a great many things from me. But of all the people I have seen since being in this office you are the first one that has ever come not asking something of me but to bring something for me’.

While God delights in answering our prayer, He also desires for us to bring something to Him. But how often do we, do you, come just to bring Him something? 

It’s the kind of prayer that says, “God, I want to know You. I just want to hang out. I want to find out who You are. Show me what You are made of.”

Friends, we can all know God in a personal and intimate way, just like Moses did, the way Paul did, even the way Abraham did. 

Paul cried out in Philippians 3:10… “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection.” And Abraham discovered what God meant when He said in Genesis 15:1, “I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

God’s desire for His people is “…that they walk in My ways!”. Doing this will delight the heart of God! And you will be surprised at some of the things that begin to happen in your life as you pray as Moses’ prayed.

Life is about knowing God! So let me challenge you today to pray a prayer like this:

“God, show me who You are. I am not coming with a request. Though I have a long list, but I will leave it outside the door for now. God, I am just coming to You because I want to know You. I just want to make Your heart happy. I want to make You smile. God, show me Your ways.”