Heart Of WorshipSample

Pursuing God Wholeheartedly

Do you hear David’s heart for God in this prayer? His passion, longing, and desire for 

God? Does it stir you? Does it awaken something deep in your heart? What makes 

this psalm especially remarkable is the situation behind it. David is on the run, 

fleeing from his own son, fleeing for his life. Can you imagine his broken, grief-

stricken heart? His own son. And yet here he is, pursuing God with all his heart. “O 

God, you are my God.” David is saying, “My whole world has unraveled, but you are 

still my God. You are the Almighty God. You are my Shepherd. You are my God and 

you will see me through.” “Earnestly I seek you.” Not casually, not half-heartedly, but

passionately, fervently, and wholeheartedly. This is not religious ritual. This is not duty. 

This is a love affair. The whole kingdom is at stake, as is David’s very life. And yet here 

he is, seeking God with all his heart. Is this not David’s greatness, this passionate

heart for God?

“My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where 

there is no water.” There is no water in the Judean desert, and David’s thirst for water 

is a picture of his thirst for God. He’s saying, “Lord, only you can satisfy the deepest

longings of my soul.” I think of Mother Teresa, who was going through a dry period

in her spiritual life and yet still had such a passion for Christ that she prayed this 

prayer: “I want to love you, Jesus, like you have never been loved before.” What hearts 

for God. Why do some people have such a rare passion for Christ? I don’t know. 

Ultimately, this kind of heart for God is a gift. Every good thing is a gift from God, but 

you can ask for this gift. Lord, give me this kind of heart for you. This thirst for you. 

This love for you.