A Prayer for Hungering for the Things of God
By Emily Rose Massey
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV).
Years ago, I was involved with a ministry where we would fast and pray for certain periods of time together. One time, we all spent a week fasting on just liquids leading up to a big ministry event we were attending. By the time we got to the event, I was so hungry and tired that I knew I needed to sleep or eat if I was going to have any energy to make it through that weekend. We all chose to break the fast together after seven days with a large meal together that satisfied my deep hunger. Next up for me was a long nap before we made our eight-hour drive back home. I don’t remember ever feeling that weak in my body and mind. If my body wasn’t longing for rest or a meal after not eating for a week or getting much sleep because of travel, we would think there was something seriously wrong going on with my health. It is healthy for your body to hunger and desire rest; This means your body is working properly.
This type of desperation for physical sustenance reflects what our spiritual hunger for the things of God should look like. When we can go days, weeks, or God-forbid, even months without reading the Bible or praying, and we don’t find ourselves desiring to seek the Lord and His righteousness, we need to pause and ask ourselves why. As believers, this should concern us.
Jesus gives us a promise in what is called “The Beatitudes” in the Sermon on the Mount regarding those who hunger for the things of God. When we pursue the Lord and His righteousness, we will never starve; God will fill us with His sustaining life:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV).
If we find ourselves no longer hungry for spiritual things, our spiritual health may be in great danger. We need to find out why we have stopped being hungry for pursuing God’s Word and Kingdom pursuits. Have you stopped attending church or fellowshipping with other believers regularly? Is your prayer routine on life support? If you are malnourished spiritually, it will begin to affect other areas of your life. We must abide in the Vine if we are going to bear fruit for Christ. Apart from Him, we cannot do anything (John 15:5). We must become desperate to remain connected to Christ and His Word; His Word is Spirit and life. Jesus says that those who are hungry for Kingdom pursuits are blessed and promises to fill us and sustain us. This type of hunger cannot be conjured up in our own strength. We cannot make ourselves hungry; We need God’s help and supernatural grace. We need to ask the Lord to stir our hearts to make us hungry and thirsty again for Him so that we can mature in the Lord and be filled up with His abundant life that can overflow to reach others for His glory.
Let’s pray:
Father God,
I must admit that I have reached a point in my spiritual journey with You where I may have grown complacent. I find myself not longing to pray or read my Bible. I have not been very consistent with fellowshipping with other believers. Help me get rid of distractions in my life that may have kept me from Kingdom pursuits. Social media and other entertainment can very quickly become spiritual junk food that does not truly nourish my soul. Will you help me prioritize these things in my life so that You are primary? Help me to see the things or people in my life that may be keeping me from growing in my relationship with You, Lord. Strip away my comfort, my pleasure, and my pride, and make me hungry for You and Your righteousness. Fill me up with Your abundant life. I want to pursue You, praise You, read Your Word consistently, stay committed to my local church, learn of Your ways, and learn more about You, and I know I need Your help to stay on the narrow path. Thank You for leading me in Your righteousness and maturing me.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages B-C-Designs
Emily Massey began writing short stories and poetry as a little girl, entered the blogging world in her early 20s, and published her first book in 2015. She enjoys being a stay-at-home momma while still being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Believing she has been forgiven much, she loves much, and desires to point others to Christ and His redemptive and transforming power, especially by sharing truth found in God’s written Word. If you would like to connect with Emily, you can visit www.emilyrosemassey.com
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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