Prayer is a Hunger!

The first beatitude of Jesus (Matthew 5:3) in the Sermon on the Mount speaks to this issue. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” is the traditional translation of this word. “How blest are those who know their need of God” is the way the New English Bible renders it. To know our hunger, our hunger for God, is the condition for entering the Kingdom, and for praying. The psalmist spoke the truth in unforgettable language.

“As a hart longs for flowing streams, so longs, my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?” (42:1-2, RSV).

The Prayer language of the psalmist is worth contemplating as we consider our Prayer.

“My soul thirsts for thee; my flesh faints for thee” (63:1).

“For God alone my soul waits in silence” (62:5).

“O thou my help, hasten to my aid!” (22:19)

The psalmist poured out his soul to God – cried, even screamed, from the depths of his being. He was confident that his soul’s hunger could be satisfied only by the Lord. This confidence is dramatically demonstrated in the Prayer language of the psalmist:

“My God in His steadfast love will meet me” (59:10).

“I call upon God; and the Lord will save me” (55:16).

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (46:1).

“For thou, O God, art my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love” (59:17).

So, Prayer is a hunger. It is also a confidence, a confidence rooted in the belief that we are not alone in the world, that there is help beyond our human resources, that the hunger within us will be satisfied. It is the confidence that God made us for Himself, and that our hearts will always be restless until we rest in Him.

Praying for you - Don