Spiritual Thirst: I want to feel Jesus

In early 2007 before we moved, we attended a little Spanish community church near where we lived.

We were the only North American family in the place (by North American — they meant me, the English speaker).

While we were there, God used this little church in ways to allow me to experience some healing and growth in my life, even though Spanish is not my first language.

The service is 100% in Spanish: prayers, announcements, greetings, receiving the offering, Scripture reading, and preaching.

I understand maybe 70% of the spoken word at this point in my life.

After service one evening, we moved into a time of response, inviting people to come forward for prayer.

The pastor invited me to come and pray with one of our guests who needed someone who spoke English.

She was a first-time visitor and did not speak Spanish at all.

She stayed for the entire service, in spite of the language barrier.

But when the invitation was given to come forward and receive prayer, she came forward.

I was surprised at another English speaker being there. Even more, I was surprised she was asking for prayer.

I asked her, “What brought you here?”

“I want to feel Jesus.”

She was spiritually thirst, dropped by our church, was aware of the presence of Christ, and allowed me to pray with her. It was an emotional prayer time for her.

Reflections:

Some people experience spiritual thirst as a desire to experience the presence of God.

Some are drawn to the sacred experience that is found in worship. They seek Jesus by coming to church, drawn by the mystery of the sacred.

Our church’s music isn’t perfect.

We sing in various pitches (that is — usually off-key).

We have typos in the words displayed on the screen.

But when we are lost in worship, these things do not matter.

As God inhabits the praises of his people, even when the words are unknown, God may make His presence tangible enough for those seeking Him to know his presence.

Let me ask you this:

Would you pray that people would be drawn to Jesus?