Here’s a confession: I’ve been going through a season of struggle. I tell you this because, maybe you are, too. Maybe you are dealing with one of those types of struggles that weighs on you… things like health scares, financial problems, and many, many other types of things that can shake our confidence and make us more circumspect.

I’m in one of those seasons. And today I’m thinking about Jeremiah 29:13, which says: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (NIV)

What does it mean to seek God with all your heart?

To me, it feels like God is telling us to pray as urgently as we do when we are desperate for his help. This is perhaps different than we might pray when we are saying grace before a meal, or answering a prayer request. When we are struggling and scared, we seek God out in almost a childlike way. We beg him to hear us. We ask with all our heart that he stay by our side.

Of course, God always hears our prayers. He is always close to us. But when we pray this urgently, we are focused on him and him only. We want to make sure he hears us. Do we really do this during the other types of prayer we do?