Praying to be Hungry

I went out for a walk this morning to pray. It was a very welcome time, as it has been a week or so since I have really unloaded my heart to the Lord in focused prayer. I so enjoy praying while walking. For some reason I have far more focus while walking than while sitting in peace and quiet, and the brisk pace of my feet seems to fuel my passion as I talk with God. As I was marching around the neighborhood this particular beautiful day, I noticed something that I have been noticing quite a bit lately: that is, how often I pray that people will have a hunger for the Word of God.

A hunger for the Word of God will cause us to prioritize time in His Word - and thereby discover in scripture any and every needed help for the issues of our lives!

I see so many needs surrounding me:
People needing direction in careers and major life decisions, Christians with misplaced priorities, apathetic and selfish Christians, troubled family relationships, victims of others' sin, young people being pulled into darkness and worldliness, Christians desperately needing to retain and respond to the Truth that they are taught, folks struggling with commitment to a church body, consuming materialism that prevents us from embracing the sacrificial call of Christ, stale religiosity and ritual within the church, a lack of love and respect within marriages, confusion in knowing God's Will, and the list goes on and on and on and on......

And so often, as I recognize these needs in my life and in the lives of those I love, this is my urgent, gut-felt prayer:
GOD, GIVE THEM MORE OF A HUNGER FOR YOUR WORD!!!

You see, I know that one of the most powerful ways that God will deliver His powerful assistance to our circumstances is through the wisdom He has revealed in His Word. I have discovered that His Word is a wealth of help and strength and direction and correction and counsel. All that we need for life and godliness is within the pages of God's Word. There is no issue that we will face in life that is not addressed in the Bible. Time and time and time again I find myself realizing that my issues and those in the lives of others would be so easily fixed if we would just consult and put into practice the principles of scripture. I know that the power of God is available in His Word to address every hurt and every need. So rather than always worrying and fussing and praying over the specific details of all the different circumstances, I sometimes simply pray that people will be hungry for God's Word. I pray that the Holy Spirit will work in lives to replace worldly appetites with an appetite for the Word. Then, as people are regularly seeking God through the Bible, I know that He will speak to them exactly what they'll need for their circumstances.

Even the issues that are not addressed in the Bible really are addressed :).
God's silence on some issues is, in itself, His guidance. Since He did not feel the need to address a particular issue in His Word, He obviously has other things that are of higher priority for our lives. We need to first make sure we're prioritizing what He has clearly addressed in His Word. Once we have done this, we will have the wisdom and the filling and the freedom of the Holy Spirit to know what decisions to make in those gray areas of life that aren't clearly spelled-out in the Word.

If you are a person whom I know or love, I very likely have prayed for you on different occasions. And, I very likely have asked God to give you a hunger for His Word. In asking that, I know that I am praying for God to draw you to His #1 source of aide for the circumstances of your life!