The Prayer of the Satisfied Soul
My new favorite book is Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health by Donald S. Whitney. The first chapter is entitled “Do You Thirst For God?”. I love the fact that he starts the book with this chapter, because too often we begin diagnosing our spiritual health by the “spiritual things” we are doing or not doing (reading my Bible, praying, church involvement/attendence, etc.). NO NO NO! We must begin by pursuing God because he is a worthy pursuit and satisfying to the soul. It is of God himself that Paul says in Phil. 3:10, “that I may know Him…”. The Apostle Paul knew God a lot better that I do, but He wanted to know Him even more! It satisfies our soul to be satisfied in God himself and crave more! THEN…. the desire for His Word will grow stronger, the need for communicating in our relationship with Him will grow deeper, and the love of serving Him will be sweeter. You see, we often desire the results of pursuing God rather than pursuing God Himself! Wow. Good stuff. Worship leaders, you must read this book!
Check out this prayer from A. W. Tozer. It is the prayer of the satisfied soul:
O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made thirsty still. (Whitney, p. 23)
