30 Days of Prayer: Day 16 - Spiritual Thirst

This entry is part 16 of 23 in the series 30 Days of Prayer

Jesus declares:

John 12:32 — “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

The verb “draw” signifies something of an attraction that leads to a focus or action, perhaps even a change of direction.

That attraction is fueled by something within each person that begins to see the beauty and wonder of Jesus.

Pray that your friends are drawn to Jesus

As part of the 30 days of prayer in personal evangelism, you are intentionally praying for people you know, by name, who appear to have no evidence of a relationships with Christ. (See 30 days of personal evangelism prayer Day 6 – praying for friends).

Prayer sensitizes you to God’s working in their life.

More particularly, you can begin to pray for visible evidence of spiritual thirst.

Spiritual Thirst is what God uses to draw people

Spiritual thirst is a way of describing a person’s own search for God.

Spiritual thirst is the underlying motive that people have to seek after God, to start and continue their search for God.

It could be

guilt over sin,
a longing for honest community,
be guidance and direction,
A stark realization that the person has made a giant mess of their life.

The gospel can speak to each one of these.

Jesus knows we have spiritual thirst

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast [of Tabernacles], Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7.37)

“If anyone thirsts.”

Jesus plainly taught that if anyone wants a relationship with God, it can be obtained.

But notice that this claim to a relationship here is specifically addressed only to those who are spiritually thirsty.

That thirst is the starting point of a person’s quest to seek God.

That thirst is the restlessness of the human heart that drives one to Jesus.

When you are thirsty, you seek water.

Just as when you are thirsty and seek water, spiritual thirst propels people to search.

Clearly some will search in areas other than Christ. Yet many will start their search for the God that their friend (you) know and follow.

Likewise, spiritual thirst will open the conversational door to faith sharing conversations.

Begin to pray that the Lord will help you see the spiritual thirst of your friends.

Today’s Prayer

“O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near.
Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you.
Bring the nations into your fold. Pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.”
— Book of Common Prayer