Hungry for More of Jesus: Experiencing His Presence in These Troubled Times

by David Wilkerson

A passionate call to a deeper walk of daily communion with Jesus. It is for those who know Christ and are hungry to know him better . . . and for others who want to know him as they may never have.

Genres: Christian, Spirituality, Christianity, Faith, Theology

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1992

About the author

David Ray Wilkerson was an American Christian evangelist, best known for his book The Cross and the Switchblade. He was the founder of the addiction recovery program Teen Challenge, and founding pastor of the non-denominational Times Square Church in New York.

Wilkerson's widely distributed sermons, such as "A Call to Anguish", are known for being direct and frank against apostasy and serious about making the commitment to obey Jesus' teachings. He emphasized such Christian beliefs as God's holiness and righteousness, God's love toward humans and especially Christian views of Jesus. Wilkerson tried to avoid categorizing Christians into distinct groups according to the denomination to which they belong.

Wilkerson was killed in a car crash in Texas on April 27, 2011.

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Wilkerson
A good friend sent me this book and was not overly impressed because I felt the author did a lot of moaning and complaining about other Christians, which was not helpful! However, as the book went on I began to enjoy it and understood were the author was coming from. Yes not everyone will enjoy the book but it should provoke some personal thoughts and may inspire some necessary changes.

[Jamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very anointed work. This read will definitely cause one to embrace and love Jesus even more.

[Matthew Prydden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't agree with all of David Wilkerson's theology but I have a lot of respect for his passion and devotion for His Lord and for his devotedness to holiness. This book isn't so much about a one-time seeking for and knowing Christ in intimacy, but rather for living with Christ and walking with Christ in intimacy, and it is excellent. My one real quibble is with Wilkerson's exploration of God's lovingkindness and his assertion that God forgives our sins so that they are without consequence. He even uses the example of David to show this yet ignores that though David was forgiven completely, there were still consequences to his sins. Apart from that, this book was excellent - challenging, convicting, encouraging and such, and being done with an awful lot of wisdom, experience and heart-felt concern.

[James Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our lives may still appear to be something of a rubble heap. But if our hearts are open and being searched by God; if we are trusting that He is sovereignly at work; if we are broken in grief and in hope, then we possess the most valuable tool for the work of the Kingdom of God: a perfect heart.

I never pictured myself reading a book like this, reading Wilkerson's strong convictions on how churches are failing, and the need to wake up to the reality of spiritually dead churches and Christians. It's been an experience for me.

How I started reading the book
I had just finished talking with my youth leader when he suggested that I read this book. I had come to rely on works to please God and felt rather burnt out with the whole process of counselling. That's when he tells me about Wilkerson and how God used him to work amongst the homeless of NY.

My experience reading the book
**Helping me walk in the light

When we are truly in love with Jesus, He turns up the light. In His presence, there is no darkness at all. But we can deceive ourselves into thinking that we have the true light, when really we have a counterfeit. Jesus warned, "Take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness" (Luke 11:35).

Initially, I found Wilkerson too puritanical for my likes, way too religious, spiritual and zealous in a way I never wanted to find myself. I even found myself repulsed by his staunch beliefs and convictions about the churches dying and the need for spiritual awakening.

But despite all this, I respected him for his work amongst the homeless so I went on and found myself convicted of many things thanks to his brazen writing style.

Areas the book helped me in

***it is not by works that we please God

We must not be deceived: Good works will not dispel emptiness. Preaching on social issues will not either. Those old Spurgeon notes will not take care of it. And the best storytelling in the world will not help. All of our personal experiences and clever life-applications just won't cut it.

I found myself drained, drowned by works of service, and so many activities that I was left feeling burnout and exhausted. But no more closer to God. :(

Wilkerson reminds us that it is only by coming to His table, spiritual intimacy that we can be filled.

Someone with an increasing revelation of Christ's vastness need fear no problem, no devil, no power on this earth. He knows that Christ is bigger than it all.
If we had this kind of revelation of how vast He is, how boundless, measureless, limitless and immense, we would never again be overwhelmed by life's problems

****David Wilkerson also confronts us with hard questions.

Do I truly want nothing but Christ? Is He truly everything to me, my one purpose for living?

Am I just using God to help me bolster my needs? Am I seeking God selfishly as a means to an end? It's a hard question to be sure, an area I found I had to keep checking myself in.

Until we know that Christ alone is all we need and desire, we should not go anywhere or do anything in His name, because the only thing we can give to people that will transform them is what we have of Christ. And that comes from time spent sitting at His table, feasting on Him alone.

***Chapters that reassured and comforted me
Ironically enough, Chapter 13: "Sifted Saints" which spoke about spiritual attacks greatly comforted me since I felt like I was going through a difficult season with spiritual attacks. The chapter provided an interesting perspective on understanding attacks from the enemy and the importance of Prayer.

You must understand that Satan seeks to sift only those who threaten his work. He goes after the tree with the most potential to bear fruit.

****Having a deeper revelation of who God is

Your God is merciful, kind, gracious, anxious to forgive, full of lovingkindness, slow to anger" (see Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 4:31; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Romans 2:4).

Chapter 18: "The loving-kindness of God" and Chapter 19: "He Will Help Us Be Faithful" were fantastic in how they opened up on the nature of God and his personality. He's a merciful God who never gives up on us.

Also, knowing that we have a high priest who's able to sympathize with us is such a reassuring truth!

***Overall
4 stars I'd say, not a book for the weak of heart since Wilkerson's strong language might be off-putting for reading trying to dig deeper.
If however, you do manage to get through the initial discomfort know that you will be rewarded!

So cheers and I'll catch you guys later, excited to read more Christian literature amongst other things!

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Wilkerson has been one of the most prophetic voices of our time. I have great respect for him, so I was interested to read Hungry for More of Jesus. The book is arranged in three sections: Feeding on Christ, The Cost of Hungering, and God Meets Us in Our Hunger.

In the section on Feeding on Christ, Wilkerson weaves his thoughts on the stories of men like Jesus, Enoch, David, Elijah, and others to express the challenge and our search to fully dwell with Jesus. He does not approach this as an easy task. It is a challenge for us to take the time to feed on Jesus and His teaching.

In the second section, “The Cost of Hungering,” the author focuses on the cost of going all the way with God. He has a chapter devoted to the fact that we will be tested by God to see if we are truly hungry for Him. We will be sifted as God’s saints.

Life will not be as easy as we would want it to be. He also says that we will learn how to sympathize with one another. We can count on other Christians who are going through the same ordeal is. We can put our trust in God because He is greater than our troubles. He gives examples from his ministry in New York City, people hd helped ministered to through their troubles.

In the last section called God Meets Us in Our Hunger, he describes the year is people have wasted when they did not know the Lord. God will restore those years and make them more profitable for God.

I really liked his chapter on the lovingkindness of God. A lot of times we don’t realize how gracious and loving God is. He said he struggled with God’s lovingkindness because he was more of a person who was better at condemning himself and others.

He says that we are not alone in this walk. God is with us and He will help us to be faithful to Him. He ends the book by talking about the greatness of Jesus. Throughout the book, he covers many aspects of hungering for Jesus and uses personal experiences to illustrate his points.

David Wilkerson does not disappoint in this book. It is full of wisdom and guidance for going through trials. I can see why people say he is a prophetic voice for our time. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything he talks about. He is real with the reader and I will probably read this book again.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to hear the truth of the Christian walk, that it is not easy. But God gives us the ability to be faithful to Him no matter what we suffer and face in this world. It is a challenging but challenge that encouraging message

[Cassandra Koshatka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man David Wilkerson's passion is amazing! Being hungry for Jesus was everything to this man and it lit a fire in my heart when I read this book. I want to be filled with hunger and passion for Jesus! There is nothing greater than knowing Him. This book will light a fire under you!

[Margaret Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and easy to read, Wilkerson looks at what it means to be 'hungry' for Jesus, the effects in our lives of soaking in the Word of Christ and His presence, and the blessings that come.

[Dennis Bramwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has blessed me greatly. I would recommend it to everyone. I bought it about 20 years ago and just got round to reading it. 20 years wasted.

[Ben Poch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book. David doesn’t pull any punches. Perfect book to read during this time. Soul is challenged and refreshed in Jesus

[John Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Jesus, you have to read this book.

[Mr S Jarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal devotion

[Loue Paglinawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't always agree with his doctrine nor with his approach, but man. His passion for Christ is contagious!

[Ryan Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very timely book! Pastor David Wilkerson hits the nail on the head with this book. A lot of it was confirmation with what I’ve been going through. Very helpful and encouraging book!

[Fernanda Bankole Adebayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very nice book.

[Alanna]

Soft DNF. Reallyyyy heavy on the whole “hating sin” thing, just not sitting right with me in the current climate.

[Pempho Chamdimba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, very encouraging and uplifting read that helped me seek Christ more intimately.