Longing for God
July 2nd, 2010 The author
It’s interesing to observe the kind of stuff we would do to fulfill our physical needs. Be it hunger, food and attention, we find all sorts of ways to fulfil our needs. I know for myself, the first things I would do once I reach home is to fix myself a sandwich or rush to use the bathroom to ease myself. Or if I am bored or in need for some entertainment, I would not hesistate to drive out to watch a movie or hang out with friends. I even need to sometimes fulfil my need to read something before I retire for the night – brain food before I head to bed.
Physical needs are easy to be met, because they shout right at ya. They demand our immediate attention as though flashing red lights are going all off in our brain control center. I was listening to one of my favourite podcast In Between Sundays earlier today and I was particularly tuned to this episode entitled Spiritual Hunger (you can click on the link to go to the webpage) and it really got me thinking seriously on my own prayer life.
As a young adult catholic I do struggle sometimes with my prayer life. Especially when I am just swamped with stuff to do until I actually literally forget God at times. Work takes a toll of my life and lately (over the last couple of months) it has become more challenging. Part of it is also because I am due for a promotion in the next few months to come, and so the pressure is on. However despite my work, I still did managed to find time for God. I would spend almost an hour each day in the adoration room of my parish church and if I am lucky, I would even make it for daily mass!
However after a while, I don’t know for what reason, suddenly you just find yourself no longer being able to these kinda things. And it’s not because of work or anything, because to me personally, sometimes I find “work” a cheap excuse to cover up our for our lack of prayer time with our Lord. As what Jeff Young, who was the guest of that podcast blatantly mentions :
“We do make time to eat at some point in our daily life, why is we can’t do the same with prayer?”
Is it because prayer is not something that can really give us a fulfilled physical need, like a cheeseburger? Or perhaps without food, simply put we would die, yet carrying on without prayer for 3 days won’t really result in any MAJOR issues/life-threatening problems?
Or to draw on another anology : Can you go on for 3-5 days staight without talking to your girlfriend/boyfriend/family? How does that affect your relationship with them? I know I have done this before in the past, and it sucks as you feel something is empty, and even though you might miss them, sometimes we get too hung up with our own work we forget the rest of the world.
It’s about the want
While fulfilling hunger pans and thirst will resolve a NEED, spending time with a person is always a WANT (unless you’re forced into it) . We need to have that WANT to spend time with others, and that WANT needs to be genuine, not something with strings attached. Likewise it’s the same with God. Finding that spiritual hunger requires that WANT for God. It’s so much easier to pray when there’s something on your mind, but what about those moments when everything is just normal and dry? What do we do then? Do we still have that same WANT?
But as Jeff mentioned, prayer DOES have it’s physical effects on a human soul. I love the way he draws comparison with exercise in the sense that intiatlly we wouldn’t have the motivation or interest to go exercising but when we get into it, we are in another world. I am sure we have all had this feeling before and it’s the same with prayer. Perhaps initially, we might feel tired and too disoriented, but even spending just 10 minutes with God will have some changes in our lives over a period of time and I speak of this from my own experience.
God is always there for us, its whether we are always there for him. It’s really sometimes whether we WANT Him.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart – Jeremiah 29:13
