Cultivating Spiritual Hunger

Spiritual hunger is essential for growth. Jesus promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. Ask God to awaken and increase your desire for His presence, and let that hunger lead you deeper into Him.

Cultivating Spiritual Hunger
The Woman at the Well by Rolinda Sharples (1823).

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." - Matthew 5:6 (KJV)

In the physical realm, hunger is a sign of life and health. A body that craves nourishment is a body that's functioning as it should. The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. Spiritual hunger—a deep, persistent longing for God and His righteousness—is not just normal for the believer; it's essential.

Yet, in our world of instant gratification and constant distraction, many of us find our spiritual appetites dulled. We may attend church, read our Bibles, and go through the motions of faith, but do we truly hunger and thirst after God? Do we yearn for His presence with the desperation of a deer panting for water brooks, as described in Psalm 42?

The cultivation of spiritual hunger is perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of our faith journey. We often focus on feeding our spirits—through Bible study, prayer, worship—but we rarely consider the importance of developing our spiritual appetite. Yet, as Wade Taylor wisely noted, "The most profound prayer that we can ever pray is in asking the Lord to provide, to enlarge, to increase our hunger."

Why is this prayer so profound? Because spiritual hunger is the driving force behind all spiritual growth. Just as physical hunger compels us to seek food, spiritual hunger compels us to seek God. It moves us from a place of complacency to a place of pursuit. It transforms our faith from a passive acceptance of truth to an active, passionate quest for more of God.

Consider the words of the psalmist: "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" (Psalm 63:1, KJV). This is not the language of casual religious observance. This is the cry of a heart consumed with desire for God.

But how do we cultivate such hunger? First, we must recognize that spiritual hunger, like physical hunger, is a gift from God. We can't manufacture it through sheer willpower. As Taylor pointed out, "Ministry can never create hunger. It can only feed hunger." This is why praying for increased hunger is so crucial. We're asking God to awaken within us a desire that He alone can satisfy.

Secondly, we must be willing to feel the discomfort of our hunger. In our abundance-oriented culture, we often view hunger as a negative thing—something to be immediately satisfied. But spiritual hunger is different. It's a blessed hunger, one that Jesus Himself commends. When we feel the ache of longing for God, we shouldn't rush to fill it with spiritual fast food. Instead, we should allow that hunger to drive us deeper into pursuit of God.

Thirdly, we need to create space in our lives for hunger to grow. Just as constantly snacking can dull our physical appetite, constantly filling our lives with noise, activity, and superficial spiritual experiences can dull our spiritual appetite. Sometimes, we need to fast—not just from food, but from the many distractions that keep us from feeling our deep need for God.

As we cultivate spiritual hunger, we must also be prepared for how God might answer our prayer. Increased hunger might lead us into uncomfortable places. It might disrupt our routines, challenge our complacency, and demand more of us than we initially bargained for. But this is the path to true satisfaction. As Jesus promised, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

Moreover, cultivating spiritual hunger protects us from one of the greatest dangers in our spiritual lives: complacency. The church in Laodicea was rebuked not for outright rejection of God, but for lukewarm indifference. They said, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing," not realizing that they were "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17, KJV). Spiritual hunger keeps us from this self-satisfied state, always pressing us to seek more of God.

As we respond to our growing hunger, we'll find ourselves naturally drawn to the spiritual disciplines that feed our souls. Prayer becomes less of a duty and more of a delight. Scripture reading transforms from a checklist item to a feast for our hungry hearts. Worship evolves from a Sunday activity to a lifestyle. We begin to understand what David meant when he said, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God" (Psalm 42:1, KJV).

Dear reader, where is your spiritual appetite today? Do you find yourself longing for God with increasing intensity, or has your hunger grown dull? Remember, it's not the strength of your hunger that matters as much as the direction of your hunger. Even if you feel only the faintest stirring of desire for God, turn towards Him. Ask Him to increase your hunger. And be prepared for Him to answer in ways that will transform your spiritual life.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we come before You acknowledging our need for a deeper hunger for You. We confess that too often we have allowed the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches to choke out our spiritual appetite. Forgive us, Lord, for settling for less than the full, abundant life You offer.

We ask You now, Lord, to awaken within us a holy hunger. Increase our appetite for Your presence, Your Word, and Your will. Let us not be content with surface-level spirituality, but cause us to long for the depths of intimacy with You.

Create in us a thirst that only You can quench. May we, like David, pant after You as a deer pants for water. When we feel the ache of spiritual hunger, give us the courage to sit with it, to allow it to drive us deeper into pursuit of You rather than seeking quick fixes or shallow substitutes.

Lord, we invite You to disrupt our complacency. Challenge our comfortable routines. Lead us into new territories of faith that require deep dependence on You. May our hunger for You supersede all other desires in our lives.

We trust, Father, that as we hunger and thirst for righteousness, You will fill us. Satisfy us with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

In the name of Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, we pray. Amen.

"My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me." - Psalm 63:8 (KJV)