Do you Hunger for God?
Have you ever felt like your prayers were dry? Cold?
Sometimes I shoot out bullet prayers. Quick, short and to the point: “God watch over this person.” Or “Thank you Lord for protecting me from that wreck I almost had.” “Forgive me God. I didn’t mean to say that.”
Or I might see a homeless person and pray, “LORD I don’t know their circumstances, but you do. Be with them, give them peace and help them find shelter and warmth in You.” I might see a hitchhiker and pray, “LORD be with that person and with anyone who picks them up. Keep them both safe. I pray they are neither one evil. “
At times I lay awake at night and pray. “LORD, here I am again. I can’t sleep. Lots of things are on my mind.” I run names through my mind like counting sheep, trying to focus so I can rest my thoughts. I pray for forgiveness and for Him to help me to help others, and to care about others more. “
I just tell God things throughout the day and during the night when thoughts pop up. I’m talking to God, and that is prayer, isn’t it? Maybe. I like to think it’s what Paul meant when he said, “pray without ceasing?” But is that an excuse for not spending more extended time with God?
I don’t know. I only know that I’m hungry for more. I’m hungry for the satisfaction of feeling God’s Spirit move me when I pray. I want to feel His presence so intensely that I get chill bumps. To shed tears of joy or of conviction. To have an emotional experience.
If I’m praying all the time over everything I see in the news or see on the side of the road and if I’m asking God to do things for me and others, but don’t hear Him speak back, how do I know He hears me? How do I know He cares?
And yet you know what?
He does speak back. Even now I hear Him saying how He hears me–that He speaks to me through His word, through nature, circumstances and through other believers. I’m just not listening.
I do Bible studies and read teacher’s and preacher’s opinions and examine their interpretations of what scripture says, but unless I read it for myself daily, I find sporadic reading of this scripture and that, is like nibbling. I’m not getting a full meal and therefore, I’m missing the full satisfaction of God‘s word.
How do you pray?
Bullet prayers? How do you spend your quiet time? Nibbling on God’s word? Or do you get nourished with a full meal? Sometimes, I write in my journal, bring concerns to the LORD, and read a daily Bible verse, but again it’s just nibbling, not really getting what I need. I’m not being fed when I dabble. I’m hungry so when I’m not satisfied, what do I do? I go grab some chips or chocolate, but what I need to do is grab some chapters out of the scripture. Not just a verse or two.
What does it say about me that I’m not satisfied with my prayer life? That after sixty some-odd years of being a Christian that I still struggle with prayer? Do you struggle? I may not have the formula down, but I know I talk to God, and I know that is what prayer is and I trust/have faith that He hears me and will answer me if I listen. I also know listening involves reading bigger chunks of His word.
Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all His benefits for He pardons me, He heals me, He redeems me, He crowns me, He satisfies me, and He renews me. Psalms 103: 1-5
Father, God let me turn to You more. Let me feed on your word, memorize it, and help me remember it’s okay to hunger for You, LORD. It doesn’t mean I am not close to you. It just means I want to be even closer. As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for You, God. Psalms 42:1
Hope you, my friends, are inspired to seek God in bigger chunks of time and bigger chunks of His word.
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