We All Hunger for Something: Three Keys to Holy Hunger

We are all hungry for something. I'm not talking about lunch. I'm talking about spiritual food. So what are you hungry for? This week at Passionate Life Church we kicked off a new series called Holy Hunger, right after finishing our series on the will of God. Here's a clue about where we're headed: this series is about the Holy Spirit, because we can't have holy hunger without the Holy Spirit in us.

Holiness Is Your Identity, Not a Convenience
Peter walked with Jesus. In 1 Peter 1:15-16 (Amplified Bible) he writes that because the Holy One called you, you are to be holy in all your conduct, set apart from the world by godly character and moral courage. It doesn't say "in some of your conduct whenever it's convenient." It says all of it.

Set apart means we look, talk, act, and make decisions differently than the world. People should know you follow Jesus without you saying a word. Being a Christian isn't a private decision. That's why we do water baptism: it's a public declaration that you are not ashamed of Jesus Christ.

Pastor's Note: You are holy, not because of your good works, but because of the one work Jesus did 2,000 years ago on the cross. Yes, I'm a son. Yes, I'm a daughter. But I'm holy. Not perfect. Holy.

What Solomon's Experiment Teaches About Satisfaction
God came to King Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he wanted. Instead of something material, Solomon asked for wisdom to love and lead God's people well, and God gave him everything else. Jesus says the same thing: seek the kingdom of God first. God then let Solomon experience everything the world offers at the highest level, and Solomon wrote a book about it so we don't have to repeat his mistakes.

Here's how Ecclesiastes 12:8-13 ends:
What Solomon Pursued:

• Food, wine, work, building, money, and pleasure
• Endless study and many books
• The purpose of life

What He Concluded:

• All that is done without God's guidance is vanity
• Excessive study wears out the body, so don't believe everything you read

• Fear God, worship Him with awe-filled reverence, and keep His commandments

The Cattle Prod and the Nail
Solomon says the words of the wise are like prods and well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd, and that word is capitalized. He's prophesying about Jesus. I grew up on a dairy farm in upstate New York, and around 12 years old I started milking cows. Cows are ornery and stubborn, and twice a day we had to prod them into the milk house. Sometimes God's word is like that prod. It hurts a little, but He's moving you into the purpose He designed you for. And like a nail, His word should be nailed to your heart.

If you're not in awe of God, you've probably lost your holy hunger. Here are three keys to get it back.

Key One: Actively Pursue God
Before we got saved, God pursued us. After we get saved, the roles change, and it's our job to pursue Him daily. In Matthew 5:6, Jesus says those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who actively seek right standing with God, will be completely satisfied. A few verses earlier, He says those who mourn over their sins will be comforted, and Comforter is one of the names of the Holy Spirit.

Righteousness simply means right standing with God. Proverbs says the righteous fall seven times and get back up. It doesn't mean you're perfect. It means that when you screw up, you let God's word prod you up, and you keep moving forward.

Practice Is Where Mistakes Belong

• 1 John 2:29 talks about those who practice righteousness. I coach high school basketball, and my boys do not like practice. But the things we do alone with God that nobody else sees are the things eventually everybody sees. Practice is where we make mistakes: you lose the ball, you go get it, and you try again.

The Messy Middle: You can lose your hunger by accident. School starts, then sports and a packed schedule, and busyness pushes the hunger for God out. Here's a prod: if you are not hungry for God, you're full of yourself. My daily prayer is, "Holy Spirit, empty me. If there's anything in me that is not of You, take it out."

Key Two: Keep a Pure Heart
Our hearts should be soft, tender, moldable, and humble. Matthew 5:8 in the Amplified describes the pure in heart as anticipating God's presence and spiritually mature, and it says they will see God. Do you anticipate His presence when you open your Bible, or are you checking a religious box? When we let things contaminate our hearts, we drift into immaturity.

Two Signs a Heart Has Hardened

• We stop seeing God in other people. We see the Muslim, the homosexual, or the irritating family member as an enemy and stop praying for them. God loves that person. Instead of inventing a backstory for the homeless person you pass, pray for them.
• The way we talk changes. Proverbs 4:23 says to guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life. You might not have meant to say it, but your heart did.

Ephesians 4:29 says not to let foul, profane, vulgar words ever come out of your mouth. Paul wrote that, inspired by the Holy Spirit, so don't write me an email. Cussing grieves the Holy Spirit. The verse ends with speech that builds others up, which is exactly why we do life groups.

If This Is You:

• You're new and didn't know Scripture said this
• It comes out when you're angry or cut off in traffic
• You only say it in your head

Then Take This Step:

• Now you know. It takes reps, so start practicing.
• Ask the Holy Spirit what's attached to it: bitterness, frustration, or unforgiveness.
• It still counts. Stop feeding it with shows and music full of it.

Key Three: Fasting Brings Holy Hunger
When you starve your flesh, you ignite your spirit. Fasting is popular right now for physical reasons, and our cells actually begin to repair themselves when we fast. But fasting belongs in your spiritual toolbox all year, not only when we fast together as a church. Our fasting page can help you start.

• Do it privately. Tell your spouse or a friend for encouragement, but don't post it on social media like the Pharisees would.
• Fast on purpose. Fast for a breakthrough, for revival in you, for a co-worker, the state, or the nation.
• Start with 24 hours. Eat at 6 p.m., then don't eat again until 6 p.m. the next day, and stay in the Word and prayer.

The Bottom Line
Pursuing God means setting apart time for Him. Keeping a pure heart means watching what goes into your mind. Fasting breaks off what keeps you stuck. All three tell God, "I'm serious about being hungry for what You're hungry for."

Take Your Next Step
If you've never said yes to Jesus or distraction has crowded Him out, today is the day. If you'd like someone to pray with you, please contact our team. We'd love to hear from you.