Awakening Spiritual Hunger: Seeking God's Presence
Summary
### Summary
At the age of 17, I experienced a profound spiritual awakening during a youth revival, an event marked by an extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This experience ignited a lifelong quest to understand the conditions that foster such powerful movements of God. Through years of research and a personal revival tour in 2018, I discovered a simple yet profound truth: God comes where He is wanted. Hunger for God is the key to experiencing His presence, regardless of denominational differences.
The challenge for many of us is maintaining that hunger, especially when life's circumstances make it difficult. Drawing from Psalm 63, we learn from David's example that spiritual hunger often arises from painful experiences. David's deep longing for God was birthed in the wilderness, during a time of great personal loss and struggle. This teaches us that the gap between our current state and our desire for God can be a gift, driving us to seek Him more earnestly.
To cultivate this hunger, we must examine our deepest longings and direct them towards God. False attachments—whether they be relationships, careers, or material pursuits—will always leave us empty. True fulfillment comes from experiencing God's steadfast love, a love that is better than life itself. This love, described by the Hebrew word "chesed," is a loyal, faithful, and enduring love that satisfies our deepest desires.
Practically, we can cultivate this desire by surrounding ourselves with passionate believers, engaging with young people who have fresh faith, and committing to a lifestyle of sustained devotion. It's not about quick spiritual fixes but about building a deep, enduring fire of passion for God. This requires daily commitment and perseverance, nurturing our relationship with God through consistent practices of prayer, worship, and community.
### Key Takeaways
1. God Comes Where He Is Wanted: The presence of God is attracted to places and people who earnestly desire Him. This hunger transcends denominational boundaries and theological differences. Whether Calvinist, Arminian, high church, or low church, the common denominator in experiencing God's outpouring is a deep, genuine hunger for Him. [05:51]
2. The Gap Is the Gift: Painful circumstances often serve as a catalyst for spiritual hunger. David's longing for God in Psalm 63 was birthed out of a time of great personal loss and struggle. This teaches us that the gap between our current state and our desire for God can be a divine gift, driving us to seek Him more earnestly. [10:12]
3. True Fulfillment Comes from God's Love: False attachments—whether relationships, careers, or material pursuits—will always leave us empty. True fulfillment comes from experiencing God's steadfast love, a love that is better than life itself. This love, described by the Hebrew word "chesed," is a loyal, faithful, and enduring love that satisfies our deepest desires. [16:16]
4. Surround Yourself with Passionate Believers: To cultivate spiritual hunger, it's essential to be in the company of those who are passionate about God. Being around lukewarm or cynical people can dampen our spiritual fervor, while being in environments like prayer rooms or with young believers can reignite our passion for God. [37:25]
5. Commit to Sustained Devotion: Building a deep, enduring fire of passion for God requires daily commitment and perseverance. It's not about quick spiritual fixes but about nurturing our relationship with God through consistent practices of prayer, worship, and community. This sustained devotion leads to a life filled with God's love and presence. [44:38]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[02:55] - Different Theological Perspectives on Revival
[04:27] - The Tyson Revival Tour
[05:51] - The Secret to God's Presence
[07:17] - The Hebrides Revival
[08:31] - Cultivating Spiritual Hunger
[10:12] - The Gap is the Gift
[11:44] - Painful Circumstances and Spiritual Growth
[14:31] - Examining Our Desires
[16:16] - True Fulfillment in God's Love
[19:19] - False Attachments and Broken Cisterns
[22:14] - The Depth of God's Chesed Love
[25:04] - The Never-Ending Source of God's Love
[28:06] - Making Your Heart Glad in the Lord
[31:01] - Jesus' Passion and Zeal
[33:30] - Becoming All Flame
[34:07] - Opposition to Enthusiasm
[35:12] - Cultivating Hunger and Passion
[37:25] - Get Near the Flame
[39:42] - Warm Your Heart in the Passion of the Young
[41:54] - Building a Sustainable Culture of Devotion
[44:38] - Deep and Sustained Devotion
[45:44] - The Importance of Community
[47:14] - Cultivating Desire for God
[49:12] - Receiving God's Love
[50:24] - The Touch of God
[51:58] - Responding in Worship
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Psalm 63:1-5 (NIV)
> You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
2. Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV)
> My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
3. Matthew 5:6 (NIV)
> Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
#### Observation Questions
1. What does David express in Psalm 63 about his longing for God? How does he describe his experience of God's love? ([10:12])
2. According to Jeremiah 2:13, what are the two sins that God's people have committed, and what do these metaphors signify?
3. In Matthew 5:6, what promise is given to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does David's situation in the wilderness (Psalm 63) influence his expression of spiritual hunger and longing for God? ([10:12])
2. What does the metaphor of "broken cisterns" in Jeremiah 2:13 reveal about the nature of false attachments and their impact on spiritual fulfillment? ([19:19])
3. How does the promise in Matthew 5:6 relate to the idea that "God comes where He is wanted"? How does this promise encourage believers to cultivate spiritual hunger?
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt a deep longing for God. What circumstances led to that hunger, and how did you respond? ([10:12])
2. Identify any "broken cisterns" in your life—false attachments that you rely on for fulfillment. How can you redirect your desires towards God? ([19:19])
3. How can you practically cultivate a sustained devotion to God in your daily life? Consider specific practices such as prayer, worship, and community involvement. ([44:38])
4. Think about the people you spend the most time with. Are they passionate about God? How can you surround yourself with more passionate believers to reignite your own spiritual fervor? ([37:25])
5. How can you engage with young believers or those with fresh faith to warm your heart and renew your passion for God? ([39:42])
6. What steps can you take to make your heart glad in the Lord each day, as George Mueller suggested? How can this practice transform your spiritual life? ([27:17])
7. Reflect on the statement, "God comes where He is wanted." How can you create an environment in your life and heart that earnestly desires God's presence? ([05:51])
Devotional
Day 1: God Comes Where He Is Wanted
When we earnestly desire God's presence, He responds. This hunger for God transcends denominational boundaries and theological differences. Whether you identify as Calvinist, Arminian, high church, or low church, the common denominator in experiencing God's outpouring is a deep, genuine hunger for Him. This truth is simple yet profound: God comes where He is wanted. Reflect on your own spiritual hunger and consider how you can cultivate a deeper longing for God's presence in your life. [05:51]
Isaiah 55:6-7 (ESV): "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to show God that you earnestly desire His presence in your life?
Day 2: The Gap Is the Gift
Painful circumstances often serve as a catalyst for spiritual hunger. David's longing for God in Psalm 63 was birthed out of a time of great personal loss and struggle. This teaches us that the gap between our current state and our desire for God can be a divine gift, driving us to seek Him more earnestly. Embrace the challenges and hardships in your life as opportunities to deepen your spiritual hunger and draw closer to God. [10:12]
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Reflection: How can you view a current struggle or painful circumstance in your life as a gift that drives you closer to God?
Day 3: True Fulfillment Comes from God's Love
False attachments—whether relationships, careers, or material pursuits—will always leave us empty. True fulfillment comes from experiencing God's steadfast love, a love that is better than life itself. This love, described by the Hebrew word "chesed," is a loyal, faithful, and enduring love that satisfies our deepest desires. Reflect on the areas of your life where you may be seeking fulfillment outside of God's love and consider how you can redirect your longings towards Him. [16:16]
Jeremiah 31:3 (ESV): "The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."
Reflection: Identify one false attachment in your life. How can you begin to let go of it and seek true fulfillment in God's steadfast love instead?
Day 4: Surround Yourself with Passionate Believers
To cultivate spiritual hunger, it's essential to be in the company of those who are passionate about God. Being around lukewarm or cynical people can dampen our spiritual fervor, while being in environments like prayer rooms or with young believers can reignite our passion for God. Seek out and surround yourself with passionate believers who can inspire and encourage you in your spiritual journey. [37:25]
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: Who are the passionate believers in your life that you can spend more time with to reignite your spiritual fervor?
Day 5: Commit to Sustained Devotion
Building a deep, enduring fire of passion for God requires daily commitment and perseverance. It's not about quick spiritual fixes but about nurturing our relationship with God through consistent practices of prayer, worship, and community. This sustained devotion leads to a life filled with God's love and presence. Reflect on your current spiritual practices and consider how you can commit to a lifestyle of sustained devotion. [44:38]
Colossians 4:2 (ESV): "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
Reflection: What daily practices can you implement or strengthen to build a sustained devotion to God in your life?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "God comes where he's wanted. Hunger is the secret. And when a Calvinist or an Arminian or a high church or a low church gets hungry, God shows up. God comes where he's wanted. And when a Calvinist or an Arminian or a high church or a low church gets hungry, God shows up." [05:51] (13 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Hunger attracts the presence and power of God. So folks, if you want to know the key to seeing an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God comes where he's wanted. I think I can add much more than that. That's it. Now, here's the problem, okay? That's the problem. But that's not bad. I want you to hold that in your spirit. God will bypass a thousand lukewarm hearts to ignite the one heart who's hungry. Hunger is a principle of the presence of God." [07:17] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The good times teach you nothing. No, I love them. Look at me. I love a good time. They don't teach you anything. They're enjoyable. They're great. But they're rarely formative. The desperation, the growth, the lessons are in the pain and in the struggle. And sometimes when we get complacent, when we're not hungry, when we get lukewarm, God will change the circumstances and put us in positions where we start learning the key of hunger." [11:44] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The reason people idolize romantic relationships is because it's the closest thing that we have to the divine. And it's almost there, but never enough. And do you know how absolutely devastating it is when those chemicals wear off and you just sit and they're going like, crap. Like they're not going to fix me. And you're lying in bed. And no matter how much intimacy is there or how much glorious sex is there or how much Instagram-worthy stuff you've been able to accumulate together, you're lying. You're lying there and the longings aren't filled. That's the ultimate loneliness." [23:58] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "If you're not a follower of Jesus, I want to just tell you that the thing, that longing that you have that brought you to this city, that passion to do something with your life, I want you to know I affirm that, I love that. Every city has its dysfunction but I would rather take the dysfunction of ambition than the apathy of somewhere else. This is my kind of dysfunction, you know. But I want to say this to you, the frustration you are having with it be removed when you connect it to the right source." [35:47] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "The gap is the gift. Look at verse 1. You, God, are my God. Earnestly I seek you. I thirst for you. My whole being longs for you. In a dry and parched land where there is no water, I've seen you in the sanctuary and I've beheld your power and your glory. Now, I don't know what you're thinking when you hear that passage. That's King David. That's poetic, isn't it? My whole being longs for you, God. I see King David early in his palace with a kingly robe and an Americano, if they were doing it back then." [10:12] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The desperation, the growth, the lessons are in the pain and in the struggle. And sometimes when we get complacent, when we're not hungry, when we get lukewarm, God will change the circumstances and put us in positions where we start learning the key of hunger. He'll put us in places where we have to start crying out. That gap between, what we wish God would do and who He is and what we experience will become His sovereign curriculum to teach us about spiritual hunger." [11:44] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The Bible teaches that we are creatures of desire. We're not brains on a stick. We're creatures of desire. We are one physical body carrying around a ball of longing. And this is what makes us who we are. But the challenge is we live in a world where it's so easy to take our longings and come and give them to what John of the Cross calls false attachments. Now, false attachments, where you take that longings and give them to what you want. You take that hunger of your heart and you put it onto a person." [16:16] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The love of God, the more you know Him, the more time you spend with Him, the more you understand Him, rather than ever being disappointed in who He is, you're just more amazed at His loving kindness day after day. I've been a Christian almost 30 years. And I felt like in my early 20s, like, no, I really know the Lord. And now I'm like, I am swimming in a thimble of the love of God. And an ocean is available to me. And all I'm trying to do is like climb the wall of the thimble to get more." [25:04] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Satan's number one plan is not to turn you into some great sinner. It's not to make you deconstruct and then write a blog about it. What a cliche. You know what his plan is for you? Just to keep you in lukewarm faith where you're never burning, but you never fall away. Here's what you become. Irrelevant as an enemy of His. And here's God's plan for your life. Set your heart on His desire for you is that within, regardless of what's happening, whether you're in a desert, whether you hate your job, or whether you're lonely or whatever it is, that you'll be able to say because of His love that His love is better than anything out." [45:08] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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