I want you to see something about the anointing

of God upon individuals. God doesn’t choose whom we

would choose. God doesn’t look upon a person’s

qualifications. God doesn’t look upon their education.

 

God doesn’t look upon their stature. Their abilities in the

natural have absolutely nothing to do with Him placing

His hand upon them.

 

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many

wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many

noble, are called:

 

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to

confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak

things of the world to confound the things which are

mighty;

 

And the base things of the world, and things which are

despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are

not, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

 

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

 

A New Testament Example

 

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which

beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and

bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that

himself was some great one:

 

To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the

greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.

And to him they had regard, because that of long time

he had bewitched them with sorceries.

 

But when they believed Philip preaching the things

concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus

Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was

baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered,

beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard

that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent

unto them Peter and John:

 

Who, when they were come down, prayed for them,

that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

 

(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they

were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

 

Then laid they their hands on them, and they received

the Holy Ghost.

 

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the

apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered

them money,

 

Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever

I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

 

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee,

because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be

purchased with money.

 

Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy

heart is not right in the sight of God.

 

Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God,

if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven

thee.

 

For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and

in the bond of iniquity.

 

Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord

for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken

come upon me.

 

Acts 8:9-20

 

Foundation Scriptures: Psalms 42:1-2, Psalms 63:1, Psalms 36:7-9, Psalms 34:8, Isaiah 55:1-2, Matthew 5:6, John 7:37-38, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:17

 

As the heart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God. 2 My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?  Psalms 42:1-2 AMP

1.  Spiritual hunger is the number one ingredient for revival and the only way to receive anything from God.

 

a.  Spiritual appetite is something that needs to be developed, cultivated, and protected. It determines how hungry you are for the things of God.

b.  As with natural things, your diet—what you put in your mouth—dictates what you will be, so it is with spiritual things. You are what you eat! If you eat junk food, that is what you will be hungry for—that is what you will crave. You will not have an appetite for the things that are good for you and nourishing to your body. As a result, you will be sick, have health problems and die prematurely. If you make a habit of eating good, healthy, wholesome food, you will have an appetite for more good food and your body will be healthy and strong and resistant to disease. You will live longer and will have a good quality of life.

     ?  Body: A healthy body: healthy heart; strong constitution; no health problems; etc. An unhealthy body: sickly; anemic; high cholesterol; heart conditions; cancer, pain; etc.

     ?  Spirit: Eating good spiritual food will produce a healthy heart—free, filled with joy and peace and all of the nine fruit of the Spirit. Eating spiritual junk food—giving in to the appetites and lusts of the flesh—will produce a sickly heart, filled with anger, bitterness, covetousness, strife, and all the 17 works of the flesh.

 

2.  What must you do to develop a hungry heart?

 

a.   Strip away everything that would clog up your heart, hinder you, and cause you to lose your hunger for God and for what is good.

b.   Take a critical look at how you use your time.

     ?   What is your daily routine?

     ?   How much time is wasted time: TV; movies; sports; friends; restaurants; Internet; computer games; etc?

c.   Get rid of spiritual junk food.

     ?   False doctrines

     ?   Wrong associations; bad influences

     ?   Wrong choices; wrong living

d.  Pray; spend time in the Word of God; meditate on the Word; be filled with the Spirit; be  led by the Spirit.

 

3.   Ask yourself: Am I hungry for God with a passion?

 

a.  If yes: protect your heart and your mind so you stay that way.

b.  If no: ask yourself what you must do to cut the spiritual junk food out of your life.

 

4.   Always: be humble; be repentant; allow God’s Word to correct you; make straight paths for your feet; God’s Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.

O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is.  Psalms 63:1 AMP

How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. 8 They relish and feast on the abundance of Your house; and You cause them to drink of the stream of Your pleasures. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.  Psalms 36:7-9 AMP

O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.  Psalms 34:8 AMP

Wait and listen, everyone who is thirsty! Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy [priceless, spiritual] wine and milk without money and without price [simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing]. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your earnings for what does not satisfy? hearken diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness [the profuseness of spiritual joy].  Isaiah 55:1-2 AMP

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

Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! 38 He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.  John 7:37-38 AMP

And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life.  Revelation 21:6 AMP

The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost.  Revelation 22:17 AMP