"I am just not into spiritual stuff right now"

"I am just not into spiritual stuff right now"

Have you ever thought or said something like this? It's one of many signs that you may need some spiritual hunger. If this is the case, so often it drives us further away from things of the Spirit, out of shame and guilt. We may recall sermons or passages from the Bible condemning states like this, feeling as if we are so complacent or "lukewarm" that God will somehow spew us out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). "Yikes, I am God's spit, God's reject, I might as well give up…" may be one of many ideas that come to mind. I believe states like this are great opportunities to pray for spiritual hunger.

Don't be afraid of having no or little interest in spiritual activities. If Bible scriptures seem uninspiring or uninteresting; or prayer feels empty and unheard, this is simply a normal human response to heaven. Its amazing when spiritual things do in fact happen! We have a strong earthly nature that will always try to get in the way of anything truly spiritual. When we ask God to give us spiritual hunger, it may be a time when we sense no or little faith and feel nothing spiritual at all. This is a great time to pray! When I think of something like, "I am just not into spiritual stuff right now", I want to get excited and know that its not up to me to be all spiritual all the time, but God can give me those desires.

One way to regularly check your "spiritual barometer" is to keep a daily devotional book or devote yourself to daily scripture reading. If you sense a few days or more of loosing interest, having your mind wander or getting nothing out of what you are doing, this is a great time to ask God to stir in you spiritual hunger. I can't think of a time when prayers like this were unanswered, and I am amazed how my desires change when I do pray like this. Other things you can do is to clear your mind, like make a "to do" list so your mind does not dwell on all the things you think you have to do (this is another opportunity to even pray about your to do list and ask for help, especially if you are feeling overwhelmed). There are other things that could be getting in the way of your spiritual hunger, and I believe that most of it has to do with things in our hearts that take more importance then God. There are a lot of simple prayers of consecration and sanctification, allowing the Lord to be first in our desires and being willing to let go of everything on earth.

If these things do not work, you can ask the Holy Spirit to show you why you lost your spiritual hunger. You may find great breakthroughs while you discover what may be hindering you. This may be a great opportunity for growth and a way to draw nearer to the Good Shepherd, Jesus.