Hello there!
Welcome to the second part of the series on ‘Having Devotions‘. If you are yet to, please read the first part here.
In the first part of this series, we concluded that the first step to having a consistent and effective devotional life is to have a hunger and thirst for God. In this post, I’ll share with you practical ways in which you can fuel that hunger for God. Again, we’re still laying the foundation required for our devotional life. Without this hunger, our devotional time with God cannot be sustained or effective.
What does a hunger for God mean? It means a strong desire and longing for God. Psalm 42:1 says: As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
If we are indeed hungry for God, he’s going to fill us up – Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (NIV)
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. (MSG)
So how then can we cultivate this hunger and thirst?
- Pray for it. If you desire to hunger for more of God, then pray for it. Oftentimes, we want to use our abilities to do God’s bidding. Meanwhile, God is waiting for us to reach out and ask for help. A sincere prayer from your heart: Lord, I desire to long for you more, I want to be hungrier and more passionate about you, help my heart, oh Lord. Show me how to cultivate a hunger and a thirst for You, Oh Lord. According to your word in Romans 5:5, may the Holy Spirit spread the love of Christ abroad in my heart. Yes, it’s as simple as that. Pray it daily and every time you remember your need to love God more. I pray that God will stir up our hearts towards Himself in Jesus name. Amen. 🙏
- Use your ears – Listen up. Yes, you can use your ears to cultivate a hunger and thirst for God. Deliberately listen to things that will stir you up. Listen to worship music playing; listen to Christian messages from people your heart connects to; listen to the audio Bible. One thing that also stirs me up is listening to interviews, interviews of men and women of God doing great things in the kingdom. Oftentimes, their stories inspire me to long for God and press for more.
- Use your mouth – Declare it: If you are really struggling with devotion to God, you need to declare it and speak it to yourself. Take Psalm 42:1-2 and speak it to yourself. Speak it to yourself until it becomes your reality. Our mind follows in the direction of our spoken word, and when you speak God’s word, it’s so powerful that it creates what is being spoken.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
- Fellowship with other believers: For they go from strength to strength, everyone that appears before God in Zion (Psalm 84:7). Make time to join other believers in fellowship and in church services. And when you do go to church, amidst the distractions, try to maintain your focus on God. It’s like a power charger. When you join in fellowship, you turbocharge your spirit man, and you’re empowered. You’re able to then take that empowerment into your own personal life.
- Use your time. Yes, time is needed in our devotion, but even yet, time is needed to build that hunger for God. You need time to listen and declare as discussed above. You need time to fellowship with other believers. Shift your time, shift your focus, and use it for what matters most. Invest your time daily in building that hunger for God.
- Cut off. Yes, you need to cut off things that take your devotion away from God. Cut off your excessive time on social media, on watching TV, so that you can make time for what matters, and make time for the One that matters.
- Use your will. Be deliberate, focus on your hunger for God and choose to desire God. You can work up your appetite for God. 1 Peter 2:2
Be assured that when you come with a hunger and thirst for God, God will satisfy you. As it is written in Psalm 107:9 “For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things”.
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