Recently, I was reading a scripture in one of my favorite books by Dr. A.W. Tozer, and it said:
My soul followeth hard after Thee. Thy right hand upholdeth me. ~Psalm 63:8 KJV
Tozer went on to say, The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him. God is always previous.
Following Hard After God
Sometimes we want to give ourselves credit for following hard after God, but the reality is, it’s because He has first pursued us, and stirred that desire within us to follow and pursue Him.
One of the things that is so important to me, as the leader of Aglow International, is that this would be a ministry that would follow hard after God.
I often think back to those early days in Aglow. I was a local President and what sticks in my mind is the sound of worship. It was the predominant factor in our meetings. It was not all about the speaker so that everything was cut short so the speaker had a lot of time. It was really about Him.
Without God in our personal lives and in our meetings, we really have nothing. The Presence of God is of utmost importance to all of us. It emanates from us as we spend time alone with Him. When we come together corporately, that Presence builds in our midst because we’ve been with Him and we’ve followed hard after Him.
Precious in His Sight
My father was a pastor and I remember something he used to say. He said, Offer on the altar of sacrifice the things that are dear to you and that you’re holding on to. Offer them as a sacrifice and out of His consuming that offering He will give back to you that which is precious in His sight.
That is what we all want.
We want what is precious in His sight.
His Presence
Jesus, You said where two or three are gathered together You are there. You are in the midst and this is what we are about. It’s not just work; it’s not just function; we are about Your Presence. May we be ones from which Your Presence emanates and may we make a difference in the office, in our relationships, in our homes.
As we go about our daily business, I pray that Your Presence in our lives is something very tangible to others; not to draw attention to ourselves, but to draw attention to the High and Holy One, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank You for that in Jesus' Name, amen.
Great Expectation
As we look forward to 2020 with great expectation, consider giving a year-end gift that expresses your appreciation for all the Lord has done through the ministry of Aglow in your life, in the lives of your friends and family, and in the lives of women and men in nations of the world. As our souls have followed hard after Him, His strong right hand has remained faithful to uphold us.
God bless you for all the ways you stand with us; the way you support us with your prayers, your finances. We’re walking together as a mighty prayer army in these days and you’re very much appreciated.
Living with great expectations,
Jane Hansen Hoyt
President/CEO
Aglow International
facebook.com/jane.hansen.hoyt