Following Hard after God

My soul has followed hard after thee; thy right

hand has upheld me. (Psalm63:8)

hristian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace,

which briefly stated means this: that before a man can seek

God, God must first have sought the man.

Before a sinful man can think a right thought of God, there

must have been a work of enlightenment done within him; it

may be imperfect, but it is a true work nonetheless, and is the

secret cause of all desiring and seeking and praying which may

follow.

We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put

an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. No one can

come to me, said our Lord, unless the Father who has sent me

draws him, and it is by this very prevenient drawing that God

takes from us every vestige of credit for the act of coming. The

impulse to pursue God originates with God.