Sermon Central
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Prayer Begins With Hunger, Not Habit Series
Contributed by Joel Bernardino on Dec 30, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: Many believers have not lost their faith, but they have simply lost the wonder of prayer. Yes, we still know how to pray, but no depth. • There is no intense desire to pray. • Prayer became a routine only.
PRAYER BEGINS WITH HUNGER, NOT HABIT
Pastor Joel Bernardino – January 30, 2025
Are we losing the wonder of prayer?
Many believers have not lost their faith,
but they have simply lost the wonder of prayer.
Yes, we still know how to pray, but no depth.
• There is no intense desire to pray.
• Prayer became a routine only.
We still pray, but we don’t always expect.
We speak, but we don’t always listen.
In Luke 11:1, the disciples said,
“Lord, teach us to pray.”
They walked with Jesus, saw miracles, and heard powerful teaching —
yet they understood that everything Jesus did in public
was rooted in what He did in private.
Jesus’ prayer life was not a ritual.
It flowed from desire for the Father.
Today, God is calling us to REDISCOVER PRAYER —
to find again its power, beauty, and purpose.
We don’t want to continue praying —
but often out of habit, not hunger.
That is why God is calling us back to this truth:
Prayer begins with hunger, not habit.
1. PRAYER ARISES FROM GENUINE DESIRE
Psalm 63:1, “O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You.”
Prayer is not something we force ourselves to do.
Why is there no breakthrough when you pray?
• Your prayer is a routine.
• Your prayer is based on your need.
• You are just responding to the call to pray, “just doing it.”
True prayer is something that rises from within.
• You really want to seek God
• You wanted to be near Him
• You desire God more than anything
• You are hungry for Him
Hunger changes the way we pray.
Habit can start prayer, but only hunger sustains it.
Note: Habit says, “I should pray.”
Desire says, “I need God.”
A breakthrough occurs when you pray out of longing rather than obligation.
• Jesus often withdrew to pray—not because it was scheduled.
• He prays because His heart desired fellowship with the Father.
Mark 1:35, “Very early in the morning… Jesus went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”
Illus: Hunger
You don’t need to remind a hungry person to eat.
Hunger naturally pushes you toward food.
In the same way…
When the soul is hungry, it runs to prayer
When the heart longs for God, prayer becomes natural
If prayer feels difficult, it may not be a discipline problem—it may be a desire problem.
Pray: “Lord, give me the desire to pray more than before. Help me realize my need to pray like I long for food.”
2. LACK OF DESIRE LEADS TO UNINSPIRED PRAYERS
Isaiah 29:13, “These people come near to Me with their mouth… but their hearts are far from Me.”
Yes, you can pray…
• Using the right words.
• Follow the right form.
• Keep the right schedule.
Yet, still have a heart far from God.
Note: A prayer routine that lacks a relationship produces uninspired prayers.
Routine prayer says, “I’ll pray because I should.”
Hungry prayer says, “I’ll pray because I need God.”
Prayer becomes uninspired when…
• You're in a hurry to finish.
• You are not putting forth your best effort.
• You keep repeating what you've said.
• Your prayer is offered without expectation.
Matthew 6:7, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”
Illus: Empty Ritual
A handshake without sincerity is just a gesture.
A greeting without meaning feels cold.
Prayer without desire becomes noise instead of communion.
• God is not moved by repetitive prayer.
• He is not impressed with the length of the prayer.
• He is moved by connection.
• He listens with the depth of desire.
Pray: "Lord, help me overcome any distractions in my prayer time. Please give me a deep desire to encounter You in prayer."
3. DESIRE BRINGS US CLOSER TO GOD’S PRESENCE
Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
Desire changes the direction of prayer.
• All other prayers seek answers.
• Only desire seeks God.
Note: David did not say, “I seek blessings” or “I seek solutions”
He said, “I seek YOU.”
Desire seeks God Himself, not just what God can give.
When we desire God…
• We linger longer in His presence.
• We listen more than we speak.
• We stop rushing out of prayer.
James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Illus: The Prodigal Son
The prodigal son returned home because he was hungry.
Luke 15:17, “When he came to his senses, he said, I am starving!”
Hunger brought him back to the Father.
Likewise:
Desire brings us back to prayer.
