SPIRITUAL APPETITE

“Hunger for God, His Word, and His Will”

These Scriptures don’t need much explanation; they speak for themselves. Together, they lay a strong foundation for what it means to hunger for God:

“O taste and see that the Lord is good.” — Psalm 34:8

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” — John 6:35

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” — Revelation 3:20

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over." — Psalm 23:5

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” — Matthew 5:6

God isn’t just offering information, He’s offering nourishment. He’s inviting us to a feast. These verses remind us: spiritual hunger isn’t a weakness; it’s a gift. The real question is, are we feeding the inner man with what truly satisfies, or with junk food?

After a year and a half of avoidance, I finally stepped back on my digital scale. First, I had to dig it out, dust it off, replace the dead batteries, and wait for the screen to light up. When it did, I swear it greeted me: “Hey stranger. Long time no weigh.”

I laughed, kind of… Then excuses (good ones) started to rise, travel, deadlines, the goal to write a book a month. But before I could get a word out, the scale cut me off: “Lemme guess. Dunkin’ Donuts?”

3 “Things” that don’t lie:

1. God…

2. Your Scale…

3. Your Jeans…

I stepped off the scale, and reality hit. I couldn’t keep feeding myself junk and expect to feel strong. It was time for real change. No more cookies, cakes, donuts, or bread. No more excuses. I needed more water, daily exercise, and most of all, a reset of what I craved. I had to starve my appetite for sugar and comfort food and start building a hunger for what actually fuels me. Not what numbs me. Not what’s quick. But what’s real.

That decision made me stop and ask:

What am I feeding my soul?

We pay close attention to what goes into our bodies but often ignore what we’re feeding our soul. And just like our physical appetite is shaped by our habits, our spiritual appetite is too. Are we constantly snacking on distractions and shallow entertainment, things that fill the moment but leave us empty? Or are we developing a taste for what truly satisfies, God’s Word, His presence, His truth?

Are You Spiritually Hungry?

Ask yourself:

• Do I hunger for God?

• Do I crave His will, His voice, His presence in my life?

The soul, like the body, needs real food, or it starves. And if we don’t feed it with intention, the world will feed it by default. And if we don’t feed it with intention, something else will. Bad eating habits creeps in fast. Without realizing it, we trade real nourishment for what’s quick, flashy, and hollow.

The good news? You can rebuild your spiritual appetite. The more you consume what sustains, God’s Word, prayer, stillness, the more your soul begins to crave it. But when that hunger fades, your cravings shift. You reach for comfort over transformation. You snack on whatever’s nearby: endless scrolling, background noise, surface-level comfort. It feels like relief, but leaves you numbed. The signs show up quietly:

• You can’t sit with Scripture for ten minutes, but you scroll for hours.

• Prayer feels awkward, but binge-watching feels natural.

• You’re running on junk food, quick to satisfy, slow to nourish, and ultimately destructive.

Now imagine stepping on a different kind of scale, not one that measures weight, but the condition of your soul. What would it say?

• “Hey stranger, long time, no pray.”

• “Still snacking on worry?”

• “Spiritually malnourished… again?”

This scale wouldn’t count calories or carbs. It would measure your hunger for God, your pursuit of truth, your capacity for peace. It would reveal the real diet of your heart: Anxiety, comparison, and noise, or grace, wisdom, and presence.

So, ask yourself honestly: If there were a spiritual scale, would it say you’re growing lean and strong in faith, or bloated with busyness, starved of substance?

If that question hits hard, don’t brush it off. Let it push you toward what your soul truly needs. Because a healthy spiritual appetite doesn’t appear by accident. It’s cultivated. It grows as you choose to nourish your spirit with what’s real, lasting, and life-giving.

What Feeds a Healthy Spiritual Appetite?

• Time in the Word
  “Your words were found, and I ate them…” — Jeremiah 15:16
  Scripture isn’t just for study—it’s spiritual fuel.

• Worship and Prayer
  “As the deer pants for the water…” — Psalm 42:1-2
  Deep longing is met by real Presence.

• Fasting
  Physical fasting exposes what truly controls you and reawakens spiritual hunger. You can also “fast” social media and technology. Maybe binge TV watching and in exchange spend that time in prayer and the Word.

• Fellowship and Testimony
  Hunger is contagious. Being around people who crave God will stir your own appetite for Him.

A Prayer for Spiritual Hunger

If you're reading this and realizing your appetite has been dulled by distraction, busyness, or spiritual junk food, you are not alone. But you don't have to stay there. God is ready to meet you with fresh bread, living water, real nourishment. All you have to do is come hungry.

Lord, awaken my appetite for You.
Stir up a hunger in me that distractions can't satisfy.
Forgive me for feeding my soul with things that leave me empty.
Help me crave Your Word, delight in Your truth, and long for Your presence.
Teach me to choose what’s nourishing over what’s numbing.
I don't want a surface-level faith. I desire a deep, lasting, and daily relationship with You.
Increase my desire for what is real, lasting, and eternal.
Feed my spirit until I’m full of You.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Move

God won’t force-feed your soul. But He is always setting the table.

This week, take one intentional step:

• Set aside 15-30 minutes a day for Scripture and stillness.

• Skip one meal to fast and pray. Or “fast” technology and social media distractions.

• Reach out to someone whose faith sharpens yours.

• Replace a time-wasting habit with prayer, worship or studying the Word.

Whatever you do; do something that feeds your spirit. The more you taste, the more you’ll hunger. And the more you hunger, the more you’ll be filled. Taste and see – the Lord is good, and He satisfies.