“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find [Me], when you search for Me with all your heart.” -Jer 29:11-13
God is aware of the plans He has for us. He has not forgotten about us. The plans for His covenant people are not harmful but peaceful; plans of intimacy and plans of a hopeful future. But we must first call upon His name, seek His face, and learn His will through prayer. He says “go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” If we aren’t seeking the heart of God through prayer we will never have peace about our own future. And If we choose to have a long distance relationship with the Lord instead of an intimate one we will have unnecessary turmoil. We must listen for God’s voice in our lives, for it is through His voice that we get to His heart.
So what does it mean to search for Him wholeheartedly? (with all your heart). 1 Chronicles 22:19 answers this for us, "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God.” Notice there must be a purposeful setting of the heart - a conscious fixing upon God to truly seek Him. This means that we can't do this out of mere habit or in a lax manner. If I only open my Bible to get a sermon out of it that is not it, If I only pray to get it out of the way that is not it, If I only go to church to be right with God that is not it, If I’m talking but not listening that is not it. God is a good God and He loves us more than we’ll ever know on this earth, know this, trust in this, believe in this, and you will be on the path to seeking and understanding His heart towards you.
So what does it mean to search for Him wholeheartedly? (with all your heart). 1 Chronicles 22:19 answers this for us, "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God.” Notice there must be a purposeful setting of the heart - a conscious fixing upon God to truly seek Him. This means that we can't do this out of mere habit or in a lax manner. If I only open my Bible to get a sermon out of it that is not it, If I only pray to get it out of the way that is not it, If I only go to church to be right with God that is not it, If I’m talking but not listening that is not it. God is a good God and He loves us more than we’ll ever know on this earth, know this, trust in this, believe in this, and you will be on the path to seeking and understanding His heart towards you.
- WHAT THING NEEDS TO BE PLACED TO THE SIDE IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW IN ORDER FOR YOU TO GET CLOSER TO GOD? HOW IS PRAYER NOT JUST TALKING BUT LISTENING?
- "And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." -JESUS (Mt. 28:20 NLT)