Pretty consistently, when Sue I pray for our evening meal together, I find us giving thanks for God’s favor upon our lives and the lives of our girls. If I were to really “count your many blessings” during these prayer times our food would grow cold. But as I come across a phrase in Psalm 119 this morning I’m thinking that I may be “selling short” the favor of God if I think just in terms of His blessings in our lives.

“The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep Your words. I entreat Your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise.” (Psalm 119:57-58 ESV)

It’s that sentiment in verse 58, “I entreat Your favor with all my heart” that has me thinking this morning. And as I look at the original language I don’t think the idea of “favor” is as much “receiving blessings” or “having prayers answered” as it is fully entering into what I already possess.

The Lord is my portion. He is sufficient to be my all in all . . . He can fill the cup . . . He can overflow the heart . . . He can become the full measure of the vision . . . nothing else is needed to know “the abundant life.” But what I need . . . what the psalmist begged for with all his heart and inmost being . . . was to encounter God’s favor . . . literally, to know His face. The NIV probably is the clearest of the translations, “I have sought Your face with all my heart.”

The psalmist’s prayer is taking the step beyond recognizing Him as “my portion” and desiring to know His presence.

Seeking the face of God . . . passionately hungering for His presence . . . knowing “Christ in the midst” . . . isn’t that the greatest favor I could be shown? When I putting together my prayer list, shouldn’t that be at the top?

James said, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions . . .” (James 4:2-3). And I’m trying to think of the last time I pleaded for His face . . . that I asked for nothing other than His presence. It’s so easy to walk with God and never really know He’s there (our problem, not His). So easy to assume the default position . . . as in “He’s promised to never leave me, therefore He must be around somewhere” . . . rather than ask Him to allow me to know His presence . . . to enliven my spirit that it might interact with His Holy Spirit within me . . . that I would, from time to time, know afresh His grace and encounter anew His glory.

It seems to me this simple passionate prayer of the psalmist is a great antidote for complacency . . . some smelling salts for waking me from the stupor of just going through the motions . . . a great little “trick” for “keeping it real.” Oh, that my heart’s desire might be set more on knowing His face.

To know the face of God . . . to know the light of His countenance . . . now that truly would be knowing the favor God.

Amen?