Seek

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
-Jeremiah 29:13

The Old Testament and New Testament words for "seek" mean:
to seek the face of God; to desire ; to examine or explore ; to seek earnestly ; to diligently search for ; to wish for ; to crave ; to investigate ; to pursue.

Only God can touch our hearts and give us the desire to seek and to know Him, and to want His will & plans & ways above our own:
"I will give them a heart to know me." - Jeremiah 24:7

" O Lord, God of our fathers, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements, and decrees..." - I Chronicles 29:18-19

"For it is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose." - Phil. 2:13

Intimacy with God and the fullest possible fellowship and partnership with Him comes as you desire and seek to know Him & His plans and will and His ways. Prayer and spending time with God is all about desire & passion for God ; it is not a "religious" discipline in your Christian walk.

"If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways, so I may know you and continue to find favor with you... Show me your glory." - Moses (Exodus 33:13,18)

" One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house (presence) of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple." - David (Psalm 27:4)

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God ? - Sons of Korah (Psalm 42:1-2)

" O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory... your love is better than life..." - David (Psalm 63:1-3)

" How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty ! My soul yearns even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." - David (Psalm 84:1-2)

" Now devote your heart and souls to seeking the Lord your God." - I Chronicles 22:19
" And you my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him he will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." - I Chronicles 28:9
" For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. - Jer. 29:11-13

" I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ... I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings..." - Paul (Philippians 3:8-11)

"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God." - Psalm 53:2

A primary purpose for prayer should be seeking to know God better; to have a closer, more personal relationship with him; to communicate as a child would.

David often cried out to God in anguish and sorrow, coming to him and laying his burdens at God's feet.
"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, I have overcome him, and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me." —Psalm 13

Even Jesus cried out to God in need of being in His presence as he hung dying on the cross:
"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabach-thani?' which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" —Matthew 27:46

And Jesus often sought the presence of God:
"After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: 'Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they many know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.'" —John 17:1-5

"Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, 'Pray that you will not fall into temptation.' He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.' An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." —Luke 22:39-44

We are promised that if we seek God, we will find Him:
"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." —Deuteronomy 4:29

" … acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever." —I Chronicles 28:9

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." —Hebrews 11:6

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." —Matthew 7:7-8