Spiritual Hunger Is Intercession

Clo DiPlato

MsDiPi@aol.com

Dearest Friends in Jesus,

This letter is very personal as it is my heart, but at the same time I know it's also for many in the body of Christ who are experiencing something very similar to what I am conveying in this article. Whether it's a "word from God", or "instruction in righteousness", or just a little "tea and comfort" to let you know you are NOT alone, I pray the Lord may have His work in your own heart through what I am sharing with you here.

I have been experiencing spiritual hunger "pangs" as never before. I looked up the word "pangs" in my concordance, and it's always associated with a woman in travail when used in the Word.

I came to the conclusion that this is the right word to use rather than "pains" . I feel a deep spiritual anguish that I desperately need to meet God in a special way, and see the Lord afresh through a spiritual birthing of that which has been seeded into my life. That which has come through the anointing and spirit of true prophecy and the ingrafting of an incorruptible seed born from above, needs to find it's fullness of expression. I feel truly that as far as my inner spiritual yearnings, I am no different than those who were desirous to receive some answers from Jesus regarding their longing for Him, whom He went onto to compare to a woman who is experiencing the pain and sorrow of childbirth:

19Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

20Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

21A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

22And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. John 16:19-22.

There is an intense spiritual hunger that literally causes an inward pain. It is so pronounced in a sense of an inner groaning that if I were free to give expression to it, the tears could flow profusely just as somewhat of a "vent". However, it is not always necessary for it to be expressed in this way, and when Paul spoke to the Romans of "groanings that cannot be uttered" (Romans 8), I think it may have been the Spirit's way of telling us that this is just a little portion of the "prayer without ceasing" that can be wrought by one of His own who may find themselves in circumstances where others simply would not understand (like in the workplace, or in a classroom).

So, within the deepest recesses of our person, we can sense a gurgling of those waters of desire for Him, and for spiritual life to come forth, which is as the cry of the Spirit having it's perfect will and way within. Others may never perceive what is happening within your spirit, except the Lord causes them to be on the same circuit of such testimony of His workings and dealings within the life. It's the place where the soul begins to find true conversion because the law of God can have it's fullest work where the fire and hunger of desire rises up to meet it with all encouragement that only the fully surrendered heart can achieve. (Read Psalm 19)

The following scriptures in Jeremiah and Isaiah give a portrayal of the feelings of the anguish of true spiritual hunger, and I hesitated to cite them because they speak of warfare, and what does childbirth and a desire to see the mighty Christ come forth have to do with the subject of warfare?

Everything because the carnal mind is at emnity with God. To be spiritually minded is life and peace, and to be carnally minded is death. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and there is always a dragon ready to devour the manchild as soon as it's born. (Read Romans 8, Galatians 5, and Revelation 12)

Paul is truly representative of our "Father of spirits", when with an impregnated sense of groaning in the words, he declared to the Galatians that he "travailed in birth until the Christ be formed in you." The Holy Spirit within us exacts this very same travailing upon our souls. And again, in the full context of Galatians 4, how can we miss the presence of warfare? Warfare between flesh and spirit. Warfare between captivity and liberty. Warfare between the son of promise and the offspring of bondage.

19My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Jeremiah 4:19.

If you read this in the context of the whole 4th chapter of Jeremiah, you'll see it's replete with illumination for those who see deeper into the Word with a desire to return to Him in a way that would expedite the presentation of His glory, even as the midwife might give exclamation of joy at the presenting of the crown of a newborn baby's head. There are scriptures about returning to the Lord with the whole heart, breaking up the fallow ground, not sowing among thorns, circumcising the heart, being washed from wickedness---all things encouraged to cause His glory to be seen among the nations.

And then there are those who wailed in lament to Isaiah as King Hezekiah and his feeble armies were mocked by the King of Assyria. I actually feel like the spacing of centuries between myself and King Hezekiah, and Eliakim, and Shebna, and the elders of the priests is shrunk by reason of identification with the feeling of knowing what it's like to fear that the "children are come to birth", and what if there is not "strength to bring forth"? What a horrible dilemma to come to the point of delivery, and then NOT have the "strength to bring forth". Such strong words: trouble, rebuke, and even "blasphemy"!! What a horrible condition to be in, to come to birth and then NOT have "strength" to "bring forth".

1And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

2And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

3And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. Isaiah 37:1-3

The one thing that causes a woman to endure the ordeal and agony of the grueling pain of childbirth is the knowledge that a child will come forth in due time. If a woman had word before time that no matter how she might struggle to bring a new baby into the world by doing her own part in working with the contractions meant to propel the child along the birth canal, what a sense of futility would ensue! That woman would either give up in hopeless despair, or determine to find out what she must do to correct the situation, so that the baby can be born.

When I saw in the Word that the problem is there is not "strength" to bring forth, I passionately set myself to have a better understanding of this "strength". Some scriptures immediately came to mind about "strength". The joy of the Lord is our "strength". In quietness and confidence shall be your "strength". But the word for "strength" in this passage of scripture in Isaiah means "to be firm". In other words, it's the strength of endurance, and sticking with it, and not vacillating, and not giving up!! You simply need to SEE IT THROUGH until you SEE THE LORD in the fullness of His glory in the situation!!

If there is a word to the Body of Christ, and especially those who have been in spiritual warfare contending against the flesh and all that would prevent the presentation of the manchild with the intensity of intercession akin to the agonizing travail of a woman, the word of the Lord is to STAND, ENDURE, SEE IT THROUGH!! What is the "manchild"?? It is when Jesus comes forth in manifested fullness in and through our lives, and it happens both personally as well as corporately. The day came when Mary was able to rejoice that Jesus had been born, Immanuel, God with us. Thou shalt call His Name, Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.

Now, this same Jesus is about to come forth through His people, and upon Mt Zion shall also be saviours, (with a little "s")

but operating in that same power of the Spirit, Christ within, the Hope of Glory!!!. (Obadiah, Colossians 1:27, Romans 8:11)

Beloved, you need to decide if it's worth the price you may be required to pay to see Him come forth not only in your situation, but in personal communion that He desires to have with you, and that will cause you to become the "womb of glory" for the nations.

Just what is your "spiritual hunger" all about?? Is it about ascending into the hill of the Lord?? Is it about dwelling in the house of the Lord forever where you can behold His beauty and enquire in His temple ?? (Ref Psalm 15, 24, and 27)

Search the scriptures, and find what you need to do to come into that place. Do you believe you will get there by simply effecting moodful spiritual drama? Do you think it will happen by merely dimming the lights, burning candles, putting on dreamy spiritual "mood music", and relaxing in

a state of repose and claiming you do have His presence because you have created a religious mood, a religious atmosphere??

Beloved, there is nothing wrong with those things, but if they are not on the proper foundation, they are nothing but empty religious exercise, and probably bringing about the wrong spirit. What is the right foundation for the presence of the Lord? What truly gets you into His presence?

What will cause you personally to be a habitation for His glory? Who will abide in His tabernacle, and dwell in His Holy Hill? Let the

scriptures speak for themselves. Not a word about burning candles, turning down the lights, or putting on dreamy, instrumental religious music

on the cd player!!

1 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 15, All.

I want a hunger that presses into God enough that as much as I am willing to wait quietly in a room in His presence, and declare that I am "soaking", I am also equally desirous to bring the flesh into subjection to His Word, and His will and His instruction in righteousness to do the things that are going to cause Him to want to come near to me. There are my way of doing things, and there is God's way of doing things. It's

a piece of cake to burn a candle, and to turn down the lights, and play religious music and sit quietly in a chair. But it's not always so easy to

"walk uprightly, work righteousness, speak truth in my heart, guard my tongue from backbiting, keep from entering into the "herd mentality" against a neighbor (that is "taking up a reproach"), or separate from vile person. It's not so easy to speak the truth when it might personally hurt me. But THESE are the things that God promises will get me into His presence!!! Am I hungry enough for God that I'm going to keep careful

watch over my "checklist" of what God likes???

In closing, if you've got a true spiritual hunger that is desirous to be in the presence of the Lord, desirous to see true prophecy come to pass, desirous to see the manifestation of the manchild, then begin to perceive that very desire as the true intercession of the Spirit that WILL cause these things to come to birth, and hold fast to your hunger for God!! Let your hunger be according to the absence of complete fulfillment as found in the following scripture so that your capacity for more of God can increase.

15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. Proverbs 30:15, and 16.

Just when you feel you cannot be more hungry for God, think about how that bloodsucker, the horseleach, never ceases to crave the taste of blood. Think about how the grave is never satisfied, and a day doesn't go by that it is not looking to receive yet another lifeless form into it's arms. Think about how the earth drinks in the rain, and yet always has an appetite for more as the rivers run into the seas, and how a fire will devour all in it's path, and yet never needs to loosen the belt because it's tummy is full. Think about the anguish of an unfulfilled barren woman, desiring to hold a baby close to her breast. Let your hunger for God develop so that it's not eclipsed by any of these illustrations of desperate hunger so portrayed by the writer of Proverbs.

It will be seen in the heart of God as TRUE INTERCESSION, and then you will BRING FORTH!! Your spiritual hunger will be converted in the courts of heaven, and in the heart of God as the purest of prayer, and He will hear you, and you will be satisfied!

For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107: 9

Always in the Love of Jesus, Clo DiPilato