Spiritual Hunger is a Key to an Active Prayer Life
In Matthew’s gospel (5:6) we read, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” The Message paraphrase says it this way, “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.”
Hunger is a great motivator. In the natural world, hunger and thirst move people to action. The teachings of Jesus promise much more when we are spiritually hungry. The promise surmised in Matthew 5:6 is this: hunger for righteousness draws the attention of Heaven. Those who find the attention of Heaven have seldom not caused a ruckus! You can find in the beginning of all great revivals, missions and movements, a man or woman hungry for God. Their hunger for God drove them to pray, fast, preach and seek the power of the Holy Spirit. They knew there was more of God to have and more that God could do. Those hungry for God find Him and, with Him, bring spiritual transformation. From the Apostles to the Wesleyans, and from the Wesleyans to Youth for Christ, people with spiritual hunger for God have changed communities, cities, nations and history.
Spiritually hungry people become praying people. Their hunger demands a response of prayer, desperate to see God move in miraculous ways.
Growing in hunger for God.
If there is a promise that hunger for God shall be satisfied, and those who demonstrate hunger for God change the spiritual climate of their communities, then it would be wise to be hungry for God. I know a man, recently homeless and now born again, who demonstrates an intense hunger for God. When reading his Bible, he often laughs or cries when confronted with the truth of his adoption into God’s family. His devotion to Jesus surpasses my own and calls my soul upward that I may know God better. Recently, this man walked free of a life of depression simply by understanding the truth of God’s Word. His hunger for God, matched with the truth of God’s Word, drew the attention and power of Heaven, setting him free from years of depression. I promise you this, if you find in your soul a hunger for God to speak to you, to interact with you, you will be satisfied. Stay close and lean in, He will satisfy you.
Are you hungry for God?
Here are some ways to grow your hunger for God:
- Read God’s Word daily
- Pray, asking the Holy Spirit to increase your hunger for God
- Find others who are hungry for God and let them pray for you
- Find and read stories of historic revivals and missions to encourage your faith
- Pray unceasingly that revival would pour forth in your country
Praying for increased spiritual hunger in Youth for Christ,
Adam Shepski
YFCI Global Prayer Catalyst