God Sees It All
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13
The other day I had the joy of going to a wedding shower. It was about an hour away, so I was on the highway, listening to some praise music, enjoying the drive and watching the GPS because I would have to soon exit onto another highway. Suddenly a large SUV came flying by my left side and nearly cut me off. He pulled into my lane, nearly hitting me, then proceeded to weave in and out of traffic across four lanes and was speeding close to 100 mph (161 kph) (the speed limit was 70mph). It startled me at first, it was so reckless. Then I was concerned and a bit annoyed. I literally prayed out loud, “Lord, let the police see that person and pull them over before they cause an accident!”. The words were hardly out of my mouth when another vehicle passed me quickly on the left … It was a state trooper. I laughed out loud, God heard my prayer and answered within moments! That trooper was driving fast, trying to catch up to the one who was driving even faster and recklessly. There were no lights. No sirens. Just an intentional focus and purposeful driving to catch the one who was breaking the law. He wasn’t making a ‘big deal’ of his pursuit so that others were aware. But he saw, he knew, and he was taking action. His goal wasn’t to catch and punish but to stop the behavior that was putting people at risk. Yes, there would be consequences, but the goal was safety and rescue.
I had to take my exit and continue on a different highway and didn’t see the outcome, but I’m pretty certain that the individual who was speeding found himself getting a hefty ticket and a stern talking to about his driving. He had to give account for his choices that were seen and called out by the police. God struck me with the spiritual significance of what I just witnessed. That police officer was like the Holy Spirit going after someone who is running from the Lord. He saw the individual’s choice to sin. He went after them to bring them to account, but also to keep them safe from the danger they were pursuing. He did it quietly and with intention. He had the authority to do so. And hopefully, there was a lesson learned in the process. Yet, few people around really noticed the officer working. He didn’t announce it for all to see. He stayed focused on the one who needed his intervention, even though that individual did not want the attention.
Sometimes our sons and daughters are going their own way, they’re running from the Lord, choosing to sin, indifferent to those around them, or just too focused on their own desires to see how their choices are putting their spiritual safety at risk. They don’t see the heartache they’re causing. But the Holy Spirit is there, He sees, and He’s following them, intent on reaching them to stop them from their destructive ways. He doesn’t come with ‘lights and sirens’; He often comes unexpectedly. But, He sees. He knows. And He is following them. We may not see Him working, but we need to trust that He is. We may be frustrated, “Lord, why don’t you act?!” But He is moving with purpose and intention to accomplish His will in that individual’s life.
The Holy Spirit is working, even when we cannot see it. We may get frustrated, “Lord, why don’t you act?” When, in fact, He is working. But our limited vision doesn’t see His hand. This is what faith is about…trusting in the unseen and resting in the omnipotent power of the Lord of lords. We don’t have the power and authority to intervene just as I didn’t have the power or authority to pull over that speeding driver. I had to trust that law enforcement would do their job. The officer was watching even when I didn’t see him working- it was comforting and a sobering reminder.
God is eternal. We know that, but sometimes we lose sight of what that means. He knows everything. He sees the direction we will go before we even take a step. He’s watching our choices, our thoughts, and our intentions. When we are caught in our sin, we’re often oblivious to the Holy Spirit until He’s right there, upon us, revealing our sin and stirring our conscience, and leading us to repentance. God sees your beloved son or daughter. He knows where they are and what they’re doing. Psalm 139:2-4 tells us,
“You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, LORD, know it completely.”
There is nothing that escapes God’s attention. He is not slow to act. He is not insufficient in His responses. The difficult part for us is waiting and trusting. We want to see a resolution now. We want assurance that our sons and daughters will walk with the Lord. We want relief from the worry and pain. But we need to trust Him that He will intervene and He will work in His time and according to His will.
We need to choose to parent with purpose and intention. When our sons and daughters are going their own way, will we allow that to send us into a frenzy of worry and grief or will we move forward with quiet trust in the Lord? Will we carry our burdens of pain, sorrow, and worry or will we lay them on the altar for God to manage?
When we pray, we are stepping into the supernatural realm with the power of God in us. We are communing with the Great I Am, the King of Kings and Lord of lords, the God of gods. We have access to the Throne room of the One to whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess His Lordship. Why would we allow ourselves to wring our hands and worry our hearts? We have the power of the Almighty on our side.
Whether your son or daughter is walking with the Lord or not, they need prayer. Time is short and Satan knows it. This generation is his target - if he can capture their heart, and their mind, he will be one step closer to his goal of destroying mankind- the image bearers of the Most High God.
Let’s pray with purpose. Let’s pray with intention. Let’s pray a portion of Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-3 and 10:
Holy Father, Lord of lords, I want to pray like Hannah who said, “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high.” Oh, Lord, You are the One who exalts and who brings down. I pray today that You would work in (name)’s heart today. Get their attention, bring them to repentance. Hannah also said, “My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.” You are the only One who can bring deliverance. Why would I trust in any other? Lord, take my worry, take my grief, soften my heart to be surrendered to Your will and Your timeline. Hannah understood Your authority and praised you saying, “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” Help me to praise you, too, and to rest in Your power and authority. Keep me from speaking words that do not honor You or voicing my frustration that things are not yet resolved. “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.” I pray that (name) would understand that You know and You will weigh their choices, their thoughts, their desires. Give them a heart that longs after You. I know that You see. I know that You are acting, even if I cannot see it yet. I trust You Lord, help me to rest in that trust. You are my hope and salvation. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, who are you trusting in for your eternal salvation? The Bible says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:2
It’s not about being “good” or doing good works to achieve righteousness because nothing we can do would ever be enough to justify ourselves before a righteous God. “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6
But God loves us so much that He made a way. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18
So, how do we believe? How do we receive so great a salvation that when God looks on us, He sees Jesus, perfect, holy, and righteous? Romans 10:9-11 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As scripture says, “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” Romans 10:9-11
“God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.” Romans 2:4 Will you embrace God’s kindness today? Will you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? Any other religion asks you to give your all for their god, but Jesus gave His all for us so that we could be reconciled to Him.
If you want to surrender your life to Christ today, pray this prayer, “Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I am lost and separated from You because of my sin- my wrong thoughts, actions, and desires- I confess that. But I believe You died for me, You paid for my sin so that I could stand before You forgiven, justified, and redeemed. I ask that You would be my Lord and Savior. Forgive me. Cleanse me. Make me Your child. I believe that God the Father raised You, Jesus, from the dead so that death and hell have no power over me. I know that one day I will stand in heaven with You as Your child, redeemed, loved, and chosen. Thank you for new life, for Jesus, and for Your mighty forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
If you prayed that prayer, would you let me know so I can be praying for you? You now have so many brothers and sisters in Christ who intercede for you and your spiritual growth and protection! Welcome to the Family of God!
If you’re praying for a prodigal, consider this powerful resource, 40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal. This book walks the reader through 40 days of intentional prayer for the heart of the one who is running from God. It includes a focus on God and His attributes, then an honest explanation of the sin and sorrow that pulls the prodigal away from God. Prayer is scripture-based and journal prompts allow the reader to thoughtfully record what they are praying and learning throughout the 40 day journey. Order your copy on Amazon today!
