We’ve been told again and again to seek God. If you’ve grown up in the church like I have, you’ve heard that your whole life. Seek God. But what if you’re in a season where you just don’t have the desire or longing to seek God? Personally, I have struggled with that off and on for many years, especially being in seminary and before that, at a Christian college. I was studying the Bible all the time, learning about God and theology, and the Bible became more like a textbook than the living Word of God. Many times I have prayed, “God, I long to long for you.” With that prayer and lack of desire, I have continued to seek him. Just because the desire isn’t necessarily there, doesn’t mean you should stop seeking him and spending time with him and wait until the desire is there to start seeking him. We are told to seek God with our whole heart, and when we do that, he promises to be found (Jer. 29:13). It doesn’t say to seek God when you feel like it.

So many things get in our way of seeking God. School, friends, family, Netflix, sports, Instagram, etc. For some reason, it’s easier for us to scroll mindlessly through Instagram or binge watch hours of our favorite show on Netflix than to spend even 30 minutes in prayer or reading God’s Word. That’s probably one of Satan’s favorite, and easiest, ways to attack us—distracting us with mind-numbing activities that are seemingly more attractive and better uses of our time than seeking God. This is a daily struggle for me, and I’m sure it is for you too. But I also know that spending time in the presence of God is so much better than all of those things. Now, this is not to say that you shouldn’t watch TV, or be on social media, or spend time with friends! Just don’t let those things take over your life so that you aren’t even spending time with God because you’re so distracted. Right now, a lot of these distractions have been stripped away and we are left with a lot more time on our hands. Take advantage of this time—not to watch TV for 10 hours a day—but to spend some more time reading the Bible, praying, spending time with God and seeking him. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

One of my favorite psalms for the past year is Psalm 63. About a year ago, I spent a day up in the mountains by myself and while up there, I memorized this psalm. I have prayed this psalm countless times, praying that someday this would be 100% true for me. Honestly, right now it’s not. I don’t thirst for and long for God as in a dry and parched land. There are some days that I am not fully satisfied with God. Days when I barely think about him. Days when I cling to my friends or other things instead of clinging to God. Yet, I still long for that. I want to be able to read this psalm and for it be completely true of me. Until then, I will keep praying this psalm as I seek God and long to long for him more deeply.

 

Scripture

 

Psalm 63:1-8

1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Jeremiah 29:11-14a

 

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord,

More passages to read:

Psalm 34

Matthew 6:25-34

Deuteronomy 4:29-31

Prayer

God, I long to long for you. Create in me a desire to know and love you more deeply. On the days where I’m bombarded with distractions, draw me back to you. God, your love is better than life. Help me to see and fully believe that. When I lack the desire to spend time with you, the desire to seek you, give me the strength to seek you anyways. I need you, God. Give me the desire to seek you. Amen.

Questions/Journal prompts

 

  1. What are some of the main distractions in your life that get in your way of seeking God and spending time with him?
  2. Do you desire to spend time with God? Why or why not?
  3. What would it look like for you to seek God more this week?
  4. Set a goal for yourself for this week in spending time with God—maybe that’s just spending 10 minutes with him a day, or reading a psalm a day, or going on a walk and listening to worship music every day.

Songs to listen to

Spend some time listening to these songs, reflecting on the words, and sitting with Jesus.

I Need You, I Love You, I Want You – Tenth Avenue North

Yearn – Shane & Shane

Here is a link to a Spotify playlist with all of the songs from these devotionals!