Day 19: Passionate Church

Daily Devotional

Psalm 42:1-2

1 “As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?”

The psalmist in these verses expresses a longing for God and a thirst for His presence. Just as a deer becomes desperate as it longs for water, our souls long for communion with our Creator. Thirst is a powerful image that conveys not only the psalmist’s longing for God, but also his recognition that only God can satisfy his deepest needs. Just as water is essential for life, so too is God essential for our spiritual lives. The enemy however, toils to pull us away from what is essential to our heart, and keep us distracted just long enough for our passion for God to grow cold. How can we reignite our passion for God? We must actively and intentionally pursue His presence again. Just as the psalmist yearns to meet with God, we too can make space in our lives and time in our days to recognize our need for God. Let us be a church that has our thirst quenched and our hunger satisfied by the presence of God. May our pursuit of Him be relentless as He continues to fulfill our deepest needs.

Weekly Application

Being part of a passionate church is to have a burning desire to live for Christ and to seek His kingdom first. You can do this by taking intentional steps to prioritize your relationship with Jesus. God desires to kindle your heart and renew your mind so begin each day by asking God to give you a hunger for His Word and a zeal for prayer. As you go through the day, keep your eyes fixed on Christ by being intentional about everything that you do. There may be areas of your life that need to be repurposed to reflect the love and glory of our Lord Jesus. Walking with God in this way will prevent you from becoming lukewarm in your devotion and it will cultivate a passion for Christ that will transform your heart and mind.