FINDING THE LORD

The first thing you must learn, dear friend, is that "the kingdom of God is within you".
(Luke 17.21) Never look for the kingdom anywhere but 'there', within. Once you have realised that the kingdom of God is within and can be found there, just come to the Lord. As you come to Him, humbly acknowledge that He is everything. Confess to Him that you are nothing. Close you eyes to everything around you; turn the eyes of your heart to the Lord alone.

You need only believe that God dwells in you. This belief, and this belief alone, will bring you in His presence. Do not allow your mind to wander about but hold it in submission as much as possible.
And now, there in His presence, you can simply repeat the 'Lord's Prayer'. Begin with the word 'Father'. As you do, let the full meaning of the word deeply touch your heart. Believe that God who lives inside you is indeed willing to be your Father. Pour your heart out to Him as a little child pours out his heart to his father. Never doubt the Lord's deep love for you. Never doubt His desire to hear you...
Or ponder the words: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven". Praying these words, humble yourselves before the Lord, earnestly asking Him to accomplish His whole will in you and through you. Surrender your heart into His hands. Surrender your freedom into His hands. Yield to your Lord His right to do with you as He pleases.

I would like to talk to you about the motive of your heart in your seeking the Lord. After all, why do you come to the Lord? Do you come to Him for the sweetness and enjoyment of His presence? Let me recommend a higher way.
As you come to the Lord to pray, bring a heart full of pure love, that is not seeking anything for itself, but desires only to please Him and to do His will. Let me illustrate. Consider the servant. The servant takes good care of His master; but if he does it only do receive a reward, he is not worthy of any consideration whatsoever. So dear Christian, as you come to the Lord to pray, do not come for spiritual enjoyment. Do not even come to experience Him.
Then what? Come just to please Him. Once you are there, if He chooses to pour out some great blessing, receive it. But if, instead, your mind wanders, receive 'that'. Joyfully accept whatever He desires to give you! Let me repeat that, for it is very important for any future growth in experiencing Christ. Believe by faith that whatever happens is His desire for you at that time.

When you come to the Lord 'this' way, you will find that your spirit is at peace no matter what your condition. When you come to the Lord with this attitude, you will not be upset if the Lord withdraws Himself from you. The times of spiritual dryness will be the same to you as the times of spiritual abundance. You will treat them both the same. Why? Because you will have learned to love God just because you love Him, not because of His gifts, nor even for His precious presence. (by Jeanne Guyon)