“I’m still hungering, momma,” my 3-year-old daughter Charley petitions as she walks into our home, returning from daycare, each afternoon. This phrase echoes on a seemingly endless loop in my household as my husband and I raise four young children who came bursting into this world with insatiable appetites that have been impossible to fully satisfy. 

Each time I hear, “I’m still hungering,” it pulls to mind seasons of my life when I have truly hungered for more of God’s presence in my life. While perhaps not properly used, her use of the word “hunger” in this instance strikes me. We know that hunger is defined as “a craving or urgent need for food” (Merriam-Webster, 2024), but to stretch this word into “hungering” moves it into an active stance. Charley at three years old is not just hungry, but she is actively craving for more in her life. 

Psalms 63:1-5 (NIV) paints the picture of a believer stirring in their hunger, craving more of God’s presence.

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”

As we walk through February, the month to celebrate all things love, let’s look past the boxes of chocolate and grand gestures of romance, and consider that the Lord may be using this season to draw us back to a place of desire for Him alone. Can you remember a time in your life when you craved the Lord’s presence in the way the psalmist has described, “my whole being longs for you”? Are you “still hungering” for Him as you did before? Or, has your love swayed and dimmed over time, captivated by your own desires?   

How do we cultivate a hungry heart for God? We do this through ongoing prayer, worship, and Bible reading, and practicing spiritual disciplines: fasting, solitude, service, journaling. When we have these rhythms in our lives, we’re quicker to recognize God at work and God near us. We become more starved for His presence and desperate to hear His voice when we’re practicing these things. Take the posture of a child and seek the Lord’s presence with an insatiable appetite for more of Him.

Dig Deeper

This year, Lent will begin on March 5. If you haven’t given something up for Lent, consider doing that and use this time for introspection, asking the Lord to lead you in your choice. May your desire for Him become insatiable through this discipline.

Daily Readings

Psalm 63:1 Illustration by Frieda Ruh | Flower Illustration by lan Truong | This article was originally titled “Hungry for More” in the February 2025 issue of Peer Magazine.