Scripture:

Genesis 35:7

There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

In Genesis 28, Jacob has an encounter with God just shortly after he flees from His brother, where he sees the heavens open and angels ascending and descending, and God speaks to him and tells him that he will not leave him until He fulfills the promise.   And here in Genesis 35, God speaks to Jacob again and tells him to go back and settle in Bethel (House of God), and Jacob here in the key verse, calls the place "El Bethel."  Two things here, one is God told Jacob and you and me that we should dwell in the "House of God," that is the place of worship, and then Jacob reminds us that we should be at "El Bethel," where we experience the revelation of God, where we can connect with Him. 

"Bethel" focuses on the place of worship, "El Bethel" emphasizes the God who revealed Himself there, highlighting a personal, relational connection between Jacob and the Creator.  So the application here is that you and I would live in a place of worship (Bethel) where we would allow the presence of God to change our lives, who we are, and that we should seek after (El Bethel) to be in a place of revelation, where we seek to connect with Him, hear from Him, be influenced by Him, to live in His purposes and plans so that we would be blessed in the land that He has placed us in.

My prayer today is that we would live in the presence of God here on earth, that we would pursue a personal relationship with Him, that we would seek His revelation (El Bethel) that our pursuit would be with all that is within us, that it would be transformational, that our lives would never be the same because of it, in Jesus' name, amen!