Diligently search for God’s kingdom and everything you need will be given to you. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). This quest for the kingdom is a diligent search to do the Father’s will his way. His way is the way of righteousness. The quest for the kingdom is a lifelong search. It relies on the Father’s word and his Spirit. In this study, you will discover how to have an intimate relationship with the Father which is the quest for his kingdom.
Introducing the Quest for the Kingdom
Many people think that by doing something for God like reading a daily devotion before seeking other things, they are seeking the kingdom first. They do not understand what Jesus means about seeking the kingdom first. The quest for the kingdom (doing the Father’s will his way) is an intense, arduous search. The kingdom is built on faith which sees the unseen. Abraham, the father of our faith, was on a quest for the capital of the heavenly kingdom. “He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). He left his home, family and friends to search for the kingdom.
David was on a quest for the Father’s heart and received a kingdom. He wanted intimacy with the Father. He was so stirred by David’s heart that he gave him the kingdom and an everlasting throne. He made David king of Israel because “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will” (Acts 13:22). He told David, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). Jesus sits on David’s throne.
Diligently seek the kingdom, and you will not have to seek anything else. “Seek God’s kingdom, and all your other needs will be met” (Luke 12:31 EXB). The word seek in this verse means to require, demand, crave, and seek in order to find. Good examples of diligent seekers are the magi (wise men) from the east who made an arduous journey in search of the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-12). When they saw his star, they traveled a long distance to be with him and to bring him precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Although their quest for the kingdom was long and dangerous, God was with them, and he led them on their journey.
Believers do not belong to this world. Jesus said they are in the world but not of the world (John 17:11-16). They are pilgrims in the world passing through it. This land is not your home. You are a pilgrim on a journey. Your Father has prepared a place for you filled with wealth and riches. Your place is seated at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places. “If you have been raised up with Christ,keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). When you realize the quest for the kingdom is the only thing believers are to seek, you can face each day with joy and confidence that you know what to do.
Intimacy and Oneness
The quest for the kingdom is birthed out of intimacy with the Father. “Indeed, our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Intimacy with the Father leads to oneness with him. Jesus prayed for believers “that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me” (John 17:20-21).“The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with him” (1 Corinthians 6:17).
Divine oneness exists with the Father, his Son and his Spirit. Jesus is the exact expression of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). They are alike in every respect. The Father’s plan calls for believers to enter into this same oneness. Jesus gave his glory,which involves the manifestation of the Spirit, so believers might share in this divine oneness (John 17:22-23). Being one with the Father allows believers to share in the divine oneness with his Son and his Spirit.
Those who are joined with the Father have an unction or anointing to know the truth (1 John 2:20). By the unction of the Spirit, they know things beyond natural understanding. Paul wanted to know Christ in a personal and intimate way (Philippians 3:10). Even when he had not fully achieved this goal, he kept pressing towards it (Philippians 3:12).
Only by being one with the Father can believers become one in spirit with each other.This oneness can extend to any believer. Like Paul, I have not obtained the goal of being fully one with the Father, but I have touched it at times and continuously press towards the goal.
Enemy of the Quest: The Thinker
The quest requires a believer to put off the old man or old self, which is the thinker.“You must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking” (Ephesians 4:17). People are continually experiencing the thinker within for it has been in their head from birth. The thinker is the deceiver, thief, and great enemy of the quest, so it has to be silenced for a believer to be effective in the quest.
Every day,the average believer thinks hundreds of thoughts which are not from God. The Lord has declared, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways (Isaiah 55:8). The thoughts that are not of God come from the thinker within. The thinker may be influenced by the things of God, but it may also be influenced by the world and the devil. Most believers consider the thoughts in their head as coming from the real person within, but the thoughts are from the thinker. The thinker resides in the soul, but the real person of a believer is the spirit man. God is a spirit and he is the father of spirits,not thinkers. “Be subject to the Father of spirits, and live” (Hebrews 12:9). The thinker is not the real you.
The path one chooses in life whether it is evil or good, the thinker is involved in every step you take. As long as you allow the thinker to control your life, your quest will be doomed to failure. The thinker overthinks situations, keeping you awake at night, bitter about the past and fearful about the future. The thinker considers natural things that can be seen, but the spirit man looks at things that are unseen. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). The spiritual mind does not look at the things of this world but at the eternal things that cannot be seen. Let the Spirit help you grow in your spiritual thinking and put on the mind of Christ.
Spiritual Tools for the Quest
Focusing on positive thoughts rather than negative thoughts is a widely used approach to self-help. While that approach seems to be good on the surface, both negative and positive thoughts can come from the thinker and relate to a person’s natural thought life rather than his/her spiritual life. The thinker can be on the job every hour of every day, so something major has to be done in order to overcome its effects. The spiritual life that comes from the spirit man or heart overcomes the natural thought life. “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). God is not impressed by what believers do in the natural. He is moved by what is in their heart. While there are many ways to enhance one’s spiritual life, three of the most important ways to silence the thinker and increase intimacy with the Father are discussed below.
Meditate on the Word
The efforts of the thinker can be overcome and intimacy with the Father can be enhanced by continually meditating on God’s word. Meditate means to think deeply about something for a period of time by muttering and talking to oneself. Meditate on God’s word day and night so that you may live by it (Joshua 1:8). “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord” (Psalm 19:14). Through meditation, the tones of one’s heart resonate or resound with God’s word.
Pray in the Spirit
Praying in the Spirit silences the thinker and speaks to God. “One who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2). If I pray in tongues, my spirit prays but my mind is inactive (1 Corinthians 14:14). Confusion, depression, anxiety, and worry can be silenced and overcome by praying in the spirit.
By praying in the spirit, a person enters into the presence of God in the supernatural realm and into his provision. Whatever a person needs, God has it there in the spiritual realm and a person can receive it by the advantage of the Spirit.Praying in the spirit brings forth the kingdom of God in a person’s life.
Worship the Lord
Praise silences the thinker and magnifies the Father. “Through the praise of children and infants, you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger” (Psalm 8:2 NIV). The heavenly host is always praising the Lord. Let heaven and earth praise the Lord (Psalm 148). “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). God is spirit, so believers connect with him in the spirit and through his Spirit. True worship is an inward expression of the heart, not an outward expression of playing musical instruments, singing or dancing. These activities may create an atmosphere for worship but true worship is an inward expression. Worshiping in a group setting led by a worship leader is not the ultimate goal of worship.This type of worship is designed to prepare an atmosphere so believers can worship inwardly and in harmony with the heavenly host.
Personal Story on My Quest
My early spiritual journey centered on Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. No one ever taught me about having a personal relationship with my heavenly Father. After learning about the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Spirit, the first revelation I received was about my Father. I realized that I could have a personal relationship with him. My spirit began crying out Abba, Father. It is the Spirit of the Son in the heart of a believer that cries out “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). Also, my spirit man began to sing a new song to Abba, Father. From that time, I began a life-long journey of oneness with my Father.
Out of my relationship with the Father, I began to understand the importance of spiritual fathers on the earth. Sherry and I sought far and wide for our spiritual father. When the Spirit connected us with Bob Terrell, we knew that we had found our spiritual father even though he lived over a thousand miles away from us. Our relationship with Brother Bob and the other people around him changed our lives dramatically from being church-oriented to kingdom-oriented. After Brother Bob passed away a few years ago, we still needed spiritual oversight so we asked Doug and Rita Roberts to help us. Recently, Doug said that even though he was not my spiritual father he had fathered me in some things. God has a spiritual father on the earth for everyone, and the Spirit will show the fathers to those who seek them.
From my relationship with my spiritual father, I realized that the Father had given me the heart of a spiritual father. I began to think and act like a spiritual father, doing the work of the kingdom and showing others about the kingdom. I devote considerable time and effort in developing and nurturing relationships with those believers whom God has put in my life. An important aspect of my ministry is to impart a spiritual blessing to believers. These blessings help establish the people in the kingdom and propel them into destiny.
Conclusions
The quest for the kingdom is a journey towards divine intimacy that unites the believer with the Father. The ultimate goal for each believer is oneness with the Father. It takes the manifestation of the Spirit, which is the glory, to bring believers into oneness with the Father. As believers experience oneness with the Father, the world will believe Jesus is Lord.
Study Questions
#1 What are you doing to recognize and silence the frivolous thoughts in your head that come from the thinker (your old self)?
#2 What hinders you from being intimate with the Father?
#3 Which spiritual tools work best for you in silencing the thinker and enhancing intimacy with the Father?
#4 How does your quest for the kingdom compare to the magi’s quest for its king?
#5 What are your plans for intimacy with the Father?