One prayer that I have offered to God on a regular basis since I have served here as Pastor has been "May we hunger and thirst for righteousness." God is the one pursuing us. We know Him because He first came to us. We have relationship with Him because we have responded in faith, welcoming His grace, mercy and forgiveness of sins. My concern for the church, for followers of Jesus everywhere, is for each of us to come, "to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." (Eph. 4:13). I suspect that some settle for an immature faith. God desire much more for us and it all begins with a hunger and thirst for God.

I recently saw evidence of God answering my prayer. In my sermon on Psalm 22, I made the point that God does his best work in the silent space of our lives. I asked those who need more space in their lives for God to work to raise their hands. Hands went up all around the sanctuary. Dozens of people desire God to work in their lives. We are hungry and thirsty for God.

As you continue in your faith journey, I offer you this ancient prayer to incorporate into your prayer life...eventually into your heart. It is the prayer of St. Patrick's Breastplate.