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Thirsting: Quenching Our Soul’s Deepest Desire
What if the longing we feel is a sign of God’s longing for us? Thirsting is a deeply spiritual exploration of a life-changing truth: only when we learn to live in the ache of our thirst instead of running from it will we know the joy of receiving God in every part of our lives.
We may be able to imagine God saving us, using us, and even loving us—but wanting us? Pursuing us? Longing for us? And yet, as spiritual director Strahan Coleman teaches, God’s greatest desire is to commune with us in the depths of our souls.
In Thirsting, Strahan eloquently guides us to:
Acknowledge the God-given thirst within us so we can offer it to God in all its depth
Learn to open up our pain to God so we can experience Him in the midst of our aching
Allow God’s desire for us to open up a whole new experience of communion
You thirst because you are thirsted for. Take a rich, vulnerable journey toward an inner knowing with God as you step over shame, receive His love, and drink Him deeply. The very journey you were made for.
We may be able to imagine God saving us, using us, and even loving us—but wanting us? Pursuing us? Longing for us? And yet, as spiritual director Strahan Coleman teaches, God’s greatest desire is to commune with us in the depths of our souls.
In Thirsting, Strahan eloquently guides us to:
Acknowledge the God-given thirst within us so we can offer it to God in all its depth
Learn to open up our pain to God so we can experience Him in the midst of our aching
Allow God’s desire for us to open up a whole new experience of communion
You thirst because you are thirsted for. Take a rich, vulnerable journey toward an inner knowing with God as you step over shame, receive His love, and drink Him deeply. The very journey you were made for.
240 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2024
124 people are currently reading
2229 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
October 16, 2024
God not only loves you. He wants you.
If I could boil this book into one sentence, it would be that. A simple statement, but one so profound for our understanding of God, ourselves, and the world we live in.
This book, both for those long steeped in Christian spheres and those only recently exposed to the Gospel, is a refining of the concept of desire that tends to be unfairly married to sin management within modern churches.
Reclaiming desire and longing is a holy pursuit, and this book seeks to invite the Church into a life that more honestly reflects the vision of the patriarchs and matriarchs that have paved the way for the body of Christ by passing these concepts through the filter of God’s own love - a love that is constantly giving over of itself for the sake of the other.
Strahan has been gifted with an uncanny ability to translate his gentle and compassionate demeanor into his writing. Because of this, each chapter produces a dialogue that invites the reader to share in a conversation about the deepest parts of oneself, making it natural and normal to approach such realities rather than avoiding them as taboo topics which we tend to do all too often in the church.
For those numb and with a faint flickering flame for God, read this and be reminded of His longing that never fades. For those addicted and stuck in patterns of turning away from God, read this and be reminded of His love that eternally chooses you regardless of what you say or do. For those seeking more of the Divine, read this and be reminded that the depths of love are unsearchable, and God only waits for your yes for further and deeper.
I read this in the midst of a particularly monotonous, exhausting, and numb season. And yet I was reminded I cannot conjure up a love that has always been moving toward me. A Love that not only loves me because I am His creation, but because He wants me, and longs that I feel that same longing for Him.
If I could boil this book into one sentence, it would be that. A simple statement, but one so profound for our understanding of God, ourselves, and the world we live in.
This book, both for those long steeped in Christian spheres and those only recently exposed to the Gospel, is a refining of the concept of desire that tends to be unfairly married to sin management within modern churches.
Reclaiming desire and longing is a holy pursuit, and this book seeks to invite the Church into a life that more honestly reflects the vision of the patriarchs and matriarchs that have paved the way for the body of Christ by passing these concepts through the filter of God’s own love - a love that is constantly giving over of itself for the sake of the other.
Strahan has been gifted with an uncanny ability to translate his gentle and compassionate demeanor into his writing. Because of this, each chapter produces a dialogue that invites the reader to share in a conversation about the deepest parts of oneself, making it natural and normal to approach such realities rather than avoiding them as taboo topics which we tend to do all too often in the church.
For those numb and with a faint flickering flame for God, read this and be reminded of His longing that never fades. For those addicted and stuck in patterns of turning away from God, read this and be reminded of His love that eternally chooses you regardless of what you say or do. For those seeking more of the Divine, read this and be reminded that the depths of love are unsearchable, and God only waits for your yes for further and deeper.
I read this in the midst of a particularly monotonous, exhausting, and numb season. And yet I was reminded I cannot conjure up a love that has always been moving toward me. A Love that not only loves me because I am His creation, but because He wants me, and longs that I feel that same longing for Him.
October 3, 2024
Too many books on spiritual growth read like travel guides or recipe books. Someone else's path to the vista or ingredients for the good life. The way Jack London makes us yearn for the wilderness or Asimov for possibilities yet realized, Strahan stirs the heart to realize its desires and to draw deeper from the well that never runs dry. Often poetic and always personal, Strahan is no guru or self-help expert, but a fellow pilgrim on a journey. A Sam to our Frodo. Encouraging us that though the road is hard, the quest is worth it!
September 14, 2025
Right book at the right time in my life. Never thought about thirsting in such a way. Personal, reflective, provocative, contemplative. Familiar themes explored in a very refreshing way. It felt like Strahan was my spiritual director leading me deeper and deeper into every corner of my soul where I discovered God's thirst for me and my need for him. That's why I took my time with it, and I believe I will return to it again and again!
December 31, 2024
Best NF book of the year by far (& maybe my whole life???) Strahan beautifully articulates things I’ve struggled to for years now. The reality that the thirst we experience in this life is a mere foretaste of the glory to come & that in sitting in the tension of this unquenchable thirst that the invitation to deep communion in God is fully realized has me 😭🤯😭😭. A book I will come back to over and over!!!
October 20, 2024
A beautiful reminder of not only our thirst for God and how we often fill that with earthly things, but the Devine love & thirst the Lord has for us. Humbling read and an encouragement to just sit with Him more often in the shared thirst. Thank you Strahan for your offering.
July 14, 2025
took this one slowww because it was so rich! A life book for sure. Thankful for Strahan’s long-suffering with Christ, and the ministry the Lord has made because of it! He writes beautifully about the human experience in relatable ways, but also in ways that for me stretch my thoughts about life as a believer.
favorite chapters: Fidelity & Letting God
favorite chapters: Fidelity & Letting God
October 9, 2024
I am probably biased cause I really appreciate Strahan’s insights and advice. Additionally this book was very timely for me and things I’m working through. If I remove those two layers I would say the book is 4.4 haha
Thirsting if I had to describe at a high level helps explain how we all have a deep desire within us and how God pursues us first and foremost and how that perfect fit helps us to relate to others, bring order to the chaos inside our deepest chambers of ourselves, and allow God in and let Him grow us in His timing.
The chapters on being faithful to God, dealing with shame in our “nakedness”, and letting it be not about God filling us than trying to will away the darkness in our lives were so helpful. If you know Strahan you may be resistant to read due to his streak of the charismatic or recommendation to live a slow and simple life but I really think there are a lot of good points that can help any Christian fulfill their deepest desires vs scrolling or going to
Thirsting if I had to describe at a high level helps explain how we all have a deep desire within us and how God pursues us first and foremost and how that perfect fit helps us to relate to others, bring order to the chaos inside our deepest chambers of ourselves, and allow God in and let Him grow us in His timing.
The chapters on being faithful to God, dealing with shame in our “nakedness”, and letting it be not about God filling us than trying to will away the darkness in our lives were so helpful. If you know Strahan you may be resistant to read due to his streak of the charismatic or recommendation to live a slow and simple life but I really think there are a lot of good points that can help any Christian fulfill their deepest desires vs scrolling or going to
December 17, 2024
What if our deepest longing is a reflection of God’s longing for us? This transformative journey invites you to embrace the ache within, opening your heart to God’s presence. By surrendering pain and thirst, you’ll discover the joy of intimate communion—a love that pursues, heals, and fulfills the deepest desires of your soul.
I’m always down to read a book on spiritual formation, add in a rec from Annie F. Downs and John Mark Comer and you can guarantee the book is being pushed up on my TBR. But none of those things could have prepared adequate expectation for how aww inspiring this book was going to be.
We all know I’m a romantic at heart, and really a more truer expression of that sentiment: I love romanticism of everyday things and soul caring moments. In thrifting Strahan cultivates the beauty and romanticism of the nature of our relationship with god- the most beautiful relationship of them all. God not only loves you, He wants you. What is more breathtaking than that.
God’s longing never fades. Whether you are in a season of spiritual numbness or thriving devotion, this book will stir your soul.
Perfect for you if you like:
Enjoy spiritual reflections that blend vulnerability with truth
Long for a deeper, more intimate connection with God
The beauty of relationship with God
Similar to:
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
Life of the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
I’m always down to read a book on spiritual formation, add in a rec from Annie F. Downs and John Mark Comer and you can guarantee the book is being pushed up on my TBR. But none of those things could have prepared adequate expectation for how aww inspiring this book was going to be.
We all know I’m a romantic at heart, and really a more truer expression of that sentiment: I love romanticism of everyday things and soul caring moments. In thrifting Strahan cultivates the beauty and romanticism of the nature of our relationship with god- the most beautiful relationship of them all. God not only loves you, He wants you. What is more breathtaking than that.
God’s longing never fades. Whether you are in a season of spiritual numbness or thriving devotion, this book will stir your soul.
Perfect for you if you like:
Enjoy spiritual reflections that blend vulnerability with truth
Long for a deeper, more intimate connection with God
The beauty of relationship with God
Similar to:
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
Life of the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
March 19, 2025
“I had to trust that what God was doing in me was good, that it was a work of love, that I was being cared for and transformed into the me He made me to be rather than being left behind. In my blindness to His work, I had to say yes. I had to give up control not only of my life, but of my deep self.” oh, okay 😦 want to get a real crazy perspective of the intensity of God’s love for you and desire to marry you through personal narrative, church history and biblical exposition? boy do I have a book for you
July 10, 2025
This book was excellent and beautiful. Strahan is an easy read yet deep and concise all at once. Having been mentored by him this year, I find he continually gives language to things I have known and learned deep down, yet not been able to express in a way that feels adequate or helpful. He strikes a good balance of intellect and mystery. I will likely consider this book a top read for the year.
With some nuance, this is basically the mystic’s version of Desiring God by John Piper.
With some nuance, this is basically the mystic’s version of Desiring God by John Piper.
September 6, 2025
Wow- this was so refreshing and exactly what I needed! Truly stoked on Strahan's writing- he makes such thoughtful comments on the Lord and His pursuit of us. I'm excited to read his other book & think that he balances deep thoughts without getting too into the weeds of things, if that makes sense? I felt like I was tracking the whole time but just kept thinking WOW about some ideas he surfaced.
September 22, 2024
A favorite of all time. Not for everyone because it walks through some very deep concepts. But actually life changing. Strahan’s heart is so pure, honest, and raw which makes it easy to connect what he is talking about. I especially think it can be helpful for people who have walked through a lot of suffering and ongoing pain because it brings beauty to those experiences.
October 10, 2025
I don't have the words to adequately articulate how profoundly this book impacted me. It is about desire, longing, and ache, both for and from God. Strahan Coleman's words feel like the treasured guidance and advice of a gentle and wise friend. His words are so incredibly applicable to my personal experience of reality and the things I've dealt with in my life. It felt so validating to me, as someone who feels both goodness and lack so deeply that they are excruciatingly painful. I was shocked to hear someone describe the viscerally painful grief and distress that I regularly experience, so great that I feel I am about to die. I have felt that so often and for so long, and always just assumed it was something broken within me, yet he reframes and redirects that experience into something to lean into rather than something to try to fix or ignore or numb.
I felt so eager to read it quickly, yet it was such an emotionally draining and painful experience for me, that I had to read it a chapter at a time to absorb and process it. I wanted to read it so badly, but it also felt scary because of how painful it was.
This is a book I will be rereading until its spine falls apart.
I felt so eager to read it quickly, yet it was such an emotionally draining and painful experience for me, that I had to read it a chapter at a time to absorb and process it. I wanted to read it so badly, but it also felt scary because of how painful it was.
This is a book I will be rereading until its spine falls apart.
March 26, 2025
Straughan Coleman continues to establish himself as a pivotal leader and thinker in the Christian faith for our time. Thirsting is not a book for the casual reader—it is a slow, monastic journey into the deep waters of the soul’s desire and God’s desire for us. Building upon the contemplative depth of his first book, Beholding, this second offering invites readers not just to understand, but to encounter.
Coleman’s exploration of divine desire is nothing short of providential. His framing of God’s thirst for relationship with us—greater than even our thirst for Him—struck a tender chord in my own walk of discipleship. It is a humbling, healing truth. With poetic clarity and theological richness, he gently unearths the subterranean longings we often ignore, and lays them bare before the God who longs for us more.
I would only recommend Thirsting to those willing to submit themselves to its slow pace and sacred ambition. This is a companion for the wilderness, a guide for the hidden places of the heart, and a gift to anyone longing to go deeper in their relationship with God.
Coleman’s exploration of divine desire is nothing short of providential. His framing of God’s thirst for relationship with us—greater than even our thirst for Him—struck a tender chord in my own walk of discipleship. It is a humbling, healing truth. With poetic clarity and theological richness, he gently unearths the subterranean longings we often ignore, and lays them bare before the God who longs for us more.
I would only recommend Thirsting to those willing to submit themselves to its slow pace and sacred ambition. This is a companion for the wilderness, a guide for the hidden places of the heart, and a gift to anyone longing to go deeper in their relationship with God.
October 14, 2025
Sometimes you read a book knowing that you needed it but you can’t express if you got it in the time. You expect a tree with fruit to produce, but it may just be a seed that years later you find thoughts, experiences and growth need to be attributed to it. I can feel this truth as I give this work its stars and review. I’m learning to let go, to thirst, to let God in again. Thank you to the supervisor and friend who recommended it. I don’t want to talk about how cut open I feel at the fact that you read this and thought of me. Thank you.
December 29, 2024
Strahan is a close personal friend. He is the real deal.
I believe he carries a depth of wisdom with humility that has come at great cost.
We deeply love and respect Strahan and Katie as we’ve seen them outwork their faith.
I think the amount of yellow highlighter ink used throughout the book, is testament to how much the Lord has spoken to me through it.
Chapter 9: Praying the Pain, particularly resonated with me. So true. I love how he encourages us to be present to those moments of pain. Instead of trying to bury it, or deaden it by distraction or whatever, that we actually ‘follow the pain’. Ask questions of it. That it’s actually an opportunity for growth and potential freedom, if we actually stop and focus, rather than suppress or run.
Love that!
Be blessed!
I believe he carries a depth of wisdom with humility that has come at great cost.
We deeply love and respect Strahan and Katie as we’ve seen them outwork their faith.
I think the amount of yellow highlighter ink used throughout the book, is testament to how much the Lord has spoken to me through it.
Chapter 9: Praying the Pain, particularly resonated with me. So true. I love how he encourages us to be present to those moments of pain. Instead of trying to bury it, or deaden it by distraction or whatever, that we actually ‘follow the pain’. Ask questions of it. That it’s actually an opportunity for growth and potential freedom, if we actually stop and focus, rather than suppress or run.
Love that!
Be blessed!
September 3, 2025
DNF
I felt, sadly, that this was a very author-centered book and was bummed as I continued reading to keep hearing the same narrative of “God gave me the deepest desire and thirst for Him and my life is so changed” instead of realistically how to recognize and develop a thirst of our own. I didn’t feel it gave any good direction to thirsting for the Lord but was more of a “brag”. Bummed I just couldn’t push through!
I felt, sadly, that this was a very author-centered book and was bummed as I continued reading to keep hearing the same narrative of “God gave me the deepest desire and thirst for Him and my life is so changed” instead of realistically how to recognize and develop a thirst of our own. I didn’t feel it gave any good direction to thirsting for the Lord but was more of a “brag”. Bummed I just couldn’t push through!
November 24, 2024
I feel that Strahan addresses every reader’s human struggle and journey with longing and desire. I found myself taking more notes, setting it down to pray over a passage and genuinely just captivated by all he had to say and allowed God to say through him. A phenomenal read. Strahan has a real gift.
July 8, 2025
A few books deeply impact you. This was one of those books. Strahan cuts to the core of what it means to be human, and the heart of God and provides a path forward, applying this truth to various aspects of life (our good and bad desires/the flesh, the relationship between discipline and grace, suffering). Listened to this book, rereading now in print!
November 29, 2024
the words are beautifully written and has challenged me to sit with Jesus and ask myself if I am truly following His call to come and drink. thank you for putting words to thoughts and feelings I have been wrestling with. May rivers of living water flow from within 🤍 John 7:37-38
May 7, 2025
This book is filled with poetic language and is so beautifully written. I ready a chapter every morning along side my time in scripture and it was a wonderful companion to my time in the word. Not a ton of practical application, but a purposeful invitation to go deeper with God.
“What sets us free is being seen, and the more seen we are, the more we become who we were created to be. The more we become like God. Here, in the end, we discover that this learning to unboxed in our souls isn’t a fringe narrative but the very heartbeat of our story.”
“What sets us free is being seen, and the more seen we are, the more we become who we were created to be. The more we become like God. Here, in the end, we discover that this learning to unboxed in our souls isn’t a fringe narrative but the very heartbeat of our story.”
June 29, 2025
this book took me forever to read. i really enjoyed it and some beautiful truths in this one; but it didn’t suck me in like his other book Beholding.
Still a great read though :-) i think non fiction always takes me longer
Still a great read though :-) i think non fiction always takes me longer
December 22, 2025
I cannot overstate the beauty and importance of this book’s message. The lover of your soul is pursuing you, knocking at the door of your heart!!!
Related:
“My Beloved” by Eliza King
Steffany Gretzinger’s “Only for the Thirsty” sermon
Song of Songs 😛
Related:
“My Beloved” by Eliza King
Steffany Gretzinger’s “Only for the Thirsty” sermon
Song of Songs 😛
November 2, 2024
Its theology, art and prayer. Strahan once again just grips me with his writing. Totally recommend this book!
January 19, 2025
Challenging. Refreshing. Definitely on the re-read list.
July 4, 2025
I struggled a little bit at the beginning abut the back half of this book was a deep well.
September 24, 2025
Listened to this as an audio book, and it’s probably going to be the first audio book I’m convinced to order the physical one so I can make some highlights. A little repetitive at times, but it’s light, refreshing and meditative.
November 6, 2025
Beautifully written and full of encouragement and wisdom and reminders of the deep love and desire that runs through every part of who God is and what He has for us
December 31, 2025
One of those books I immediately know I’ll read again.
December 1, 2024
Best book I’ve read this year.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews