Hunger for God

Spiritual growth, true intimacy, and effectiveness in ministry are anchored in an “insatiable hunger” for God and His Word. This hunger requires believers to embrace spiritual discipline—specifically prayer, fasting, and consecration—to move from being “orphans” who run from God’s correction to “sons” who abide in His house.

The journey from being spiritually lost to radically transformed necessitates a breakthrough into the spirit of revelation. The ultimate goal is not just activity, but deep, continuous revival fueled by a profound connection between intercession and evangelism.

1. Radical Transformation: The Power of Encounter

The pursuit of God must begin with a foundational, life-altering encounter that transforms a person’s identity and destiny.

The testimony of Corey Russell, who went from being a “strung out drug addict” to a devoted minister, illustrates this radical change. In 1997, he experienced the power of God filling the van he was in, leading to a “tug-of-war battle between light and darkness” over his soul. The resistance was broken when he finally screamed the name “Jesus,” leading to immediate deliverance and salvation. Russell noted that he has “n’t been the same since” that experience.

This transformation is rooted in God’s perspective:

• God’s Nature: Believers must break through into “seeing God rightly”. Most people falsely view God as a “middle class working dad who doesn’t like us” and is “annoyed by us,” but these are lies. The Father is “absolutely amazing,” kind, generous, compassionate, righteous, just, and eternally rich in love.
• No Condemnation: True entry into a deep prayer life requires the realization that believers are “not condemned,” not guilty, and not ashamed.

2. Sonship and Discipline: Trusting God’s Correction

The difference between a mature believer and one who remains spiritually stunted often comes down to their response to God’s discipline. God’s correction is an act of leadership, not rejection.

• Sons vs. Orphans: God does not correct those who are not His children, as “He doesn’t spank other parents’ kids”. The moment a person is born again, they receive the free gift of salvation, but sons are manifested through discipline.
• Alignment: When God puts His hand on a believer’s life to highlight areas of weakness or blind spots, His “rod and his staff begin to bring you into alignment”. This is where sons are revealed.
• Abiding in the House: Orphans run when correction comes, but sons “stay” and “abide in the house”. The message of Luke 15 is an invitation for everyone to “come to the house” and “live from” the Father’s presence.

3. Developing Spiritual Hunger: The Word and Intimacy

The greatest pursuit for a believer should be an “insatiable hunger for the word” and the truth. This hunger is cultivated through desperation and consistent effort to eliminate distractions.

Seeking Revelation

Many people read the Bible, but there must be a connection to the love of the Father and a “hunger for the truth”. Russell explained that he became “so desperate to know God” that he resolved to lock himself in a room until he could “break through the pages and encounter you for myself”.

• Receiving First: Prayer does not start with the believer talking or filling God with a list, but with receiving. The focus should be: “God, what are the dreams of your heart? What is it you want, God?”.
• The Exploding Word: The Word of God explodes revelation. Feasting on the Word of Life, as commanded in Deuteronomy 8, causes revelation to expand and grow.

Cutting Off Distraction

The enemy actively tries to make believers “as busy as you can possibly be,” bombarding them with phone calls and demands when they try to get alone with God.

• Guarding the Secret Place: Jesus commanded believers to “Go into your room and shut the door”. This requires cutting off “distraction pieces” like the iPhone and iPad.
• Beating the Activity: Early morning is often the best time to be a better receiver because the mind is quieter and there are “less stuff going on”.

4. Activating Spiritual Power: The Gift of Tongues

The gift of speaking in tongues is often misunderstood but is vital for devotional life, revelation, and power.

• The Secret Doorway: The Apostle Paul considered this gift so essential that he declared, “I thank God I speak with tongues more than all of you”. Tongues are the “greatest door into his devotional life”. It is the doorway into revelation, power, and the operation of other gifts of the Spirit.
• Edification and Capacity: Praying in tongues edifies the spirit man. The capacity of the spirit man is enlarged through this practice.
• Taming the Tongue: Tongues bring the believer’s tongue underneath the leadership of the Holy Spirit. It teaches the believer to be quiet when necessary, speak when needed, and restrain at the appropriate times.
• Flow of Knowledge: Todd White testified that before he saw major breakthroughs in healing, he would pray in tongues constantly while walking through grocery stores and received words of knowledge during that time.