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What is the main difference between praying and seeking God? It’s certainly not as obvious as finding the ones who wear luxury watches. Those who say, “I prayed and God answered me,” usually have only sought the L-RD in prayer once, and relied on their first impression of his will; yet this is dangerous, for to truly hear the voice of God, we must be sure that we have set our own desires aside first.

What does the Bible tell us about seeking the L-RD earnestly? We know that it means praying more than once about something; it requires confirming his will and making sure it is He who has spoken, and not just our own fleshly desires. But are there benefits to going to all that extra work, even in moments when time seems in short supply? Certainly there is!

Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those going down to Egypt expecting help–relying on horses; trusting in chariots because they have many, and in the strength of their cavalrymen–but not looking to the Holy One of Isra’el, not consulting Adonai.

What a warning! David had many military assets to rely on in a battle against the P’lishtim, but David, like the prophet Isaiah, remembered the lesson of the Exodus from Egypt. In every way, Pharaoh’s army was better-equipped for battle than were the children of Israel, and yet God led the defenseless Israelites through the Red Sea on dry land, but the Egyptians, who did not honor the Holy One of Israel, he destroyed.

Praying earnestly and seeking the L-RD can also help you to understand some of the injustices of the world, or see events that you do not understand in a new way that leads to better understanding. As it is written:

Proverbs 28:5 Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who seek Adonai understand everything.

If you think seeking God earnestly in prayer is not critical, take his warning from the prophet Amos:

Amos 5:4 For here is what Adonai says to the house of Israel: “If you seek me you will survive;”

Indeed, if David had gone off into battle against the P’lishtim without first seeking the will of Adonai, or had he heeded his advisors and stayed in Y’hudah, out of a motivation of fear, than not only would the city of Ke’ilah and its inhabitants have perished, but who knows? Perhaps Adonai would have allowed David and his men to be overtaken by his enemies. Therefore, we must acknowledge that the truth of the Torah is that seeking the L-RD is more than just saying a quick prayer like we do at the beginning of class, nor is it optional. It is time-consuming and is it vital; tragedy can even befall us if we fail to seek Adonai, and even this brief passage from David’s life underlines the importance of this point.