What does it mean for us as Christians to long for God? Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst” ( John 6:35). This is a perfect example of how we need to further our relationship with God. Longing for God is having a hunger and thirst to get to know him and to live a life according to his will. It can be hard during this difficult season to have faith in God and desire to spend time with him every day. It is crucial that we spend time in community, read the Bible, and long for the kingdom of Christ to be on earth as it is in heaven.
Principle 1: Time in Community
One of the best things that has happened to me to is joining a home group. There’s something special about being a part of a small community where you can talk about God’s Word, pray for one another and spend quality time together. Acts 2:42 says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” I am a firm believer in community, so I encourage all of you to join a small group and start building relationships with others to help with your journey with God. It’s always a great feeling whenever I need prayer—I know I can message my other group members to tell them what I’m going through.
Principle 2: Time in the Word and Prayer
The ultimate thing we can do as we strive to long for God is to spend time with him personally. Whether that’s through prayer, scripture reading, or through worship—spending time with him every day is going to help further your relationship with him. Satan does a great job in trying to pull us away from spending time with God. We can’t listen to the lies of the enemy, because we know that Christ is the only answer to all things. I am a big believer in everyone owning a physical Bible and sharing what you’ve been reading with other believers. God wants to know us on a personal level, but it’s important that we know him on one as well. Prayer is instrumental in communicating with God. In the Old Testament, a way people obeyed God was to sacrifice animals so they could be clean and purified before appearing before the Lord. Now, since our relationship has been restored through Jesus, we can come before God just as we are in prayer. What if every single person spent an hour a day praying for our country? God has said in 2 Chronicles 7:14,
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Have you asked God for forgiveness? When was the last time you prayed for our nation? God wants us to take time to learn about him and have a real relationship with him.
Principle 3: Time to Share the Gospel
We all know the story of the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 says,
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Why is it so hard for us to explain God to others? We are scared and we are too busy to share the good news. Busy stands for Being Under Satan’s Yoke. This is the perfect time to follow this command, because people are searching for something greater in their lives. God’s desire is to see everyone in heaven. Isn’t it exciting that we can help people have eternal life and build a strong relationship with God? In the Great Commission, God said that we as Christians should be longing for the Kingdom to be on earth. In these tough times, people need God more than ever. As Christians, we must evangelize by sharing the Gospel with others. Let the Holy Spirit speak through you, because ultimately it’s God’s words, not ours. I ask you to pray to God to reveal someone who needs to hear about God.
Longing for God is not easy. We have to give up our old life and live according to his will. With these three principles—joining a home group, spending time in his Word, and sharing the gospel—you should see a difference in having a longing for God.
Trey Konishi is an adult leader for LifeWay’s youth group guys. Trey has a passion for seeing students grow in their faith. He has been a part of the church for 8 months. Trey currently works at Nordstrom as a digital ops specialist. In my spare time, he enjoys watching sports, playing golf, bowling, traveling and spending time with his family. Trey graduated from Central Washington University last year with a major in Public Relations and a minor in Advertising/ Nonprofit.