God is waiting eagerly to respond with new strength to each

Hear, O seekers of the Eternal, the words of Richard Holloway, who once declared with humility and hope: “God is waiting eagerly to respond with new strength to each little act of self-control, small disciplines of prayer, feeble searching after him. And his children shall be filled if they will only hunger and thirst after what he offers.” These words reveal the mystery of grace, that heaven bends low not to meet the mighty alone, but to strengthen the weak, to honor the smallest step of faith, and to reward the faintest cry of the searching soul.

The origin of this truth lies in the sacred traditions of ages past. From the psalmist’s cry, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,” to the teaching of Christ, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled,” humanity has always been reminded that God delights not in grand offerings, but in the heart that yearns for Him. Holloway, with poetic tenderness, reminds us that the Eternal does not scorn our feeble searching, but responds eagerly to it, pouring out new strength upon all who dare to take even the smallest step toward Him.

Behold the power of the little act. A whispered prayer in the night, a moment of self-restraint when anger burns, a humble attempt to read sacred words when the mind is weary—these are not wasted. To men they may seem weak, but to God they are signals of love. Consider the widow in the gospel who offered only two small coins. Though her gift was less than all others, Christ declared it greater, for it came from a heart of sincerity. So too does every small discipline, every faint searching, stir the heart of the Almighty.

The story of Brother Lawrence, a humble monk in a Paris monastery, bears witness to this truth. He was not a priest, nor a scholar, but a cook. Yet in the kitchen, while peeling potatoes and scrubbing pots, he turned his heart constantly toward God. He called it “the practice of the presence of God.” Through such small acts of attention and prayer, he became radiant with peace, and his words have inspired generations. His life is proof that hunger and thirst for God, shown even in ordinary tasks, brings filling beyond imagination.

O listeners, take comfort in this: you need not climb mountains of perfection to reach God. You need not thunder with eloquent prayers nor achieve feats of unshakable discipline. It is enough to begin with the little act—a choice to forgive, a breath of prayer, a moment of turning the heart upward. For God, says Holloway, waits eagerly—not passively, but with anticipation, ready to pour His strength into your weakness. What a mystery! That the Creator of heaven should long to fill the smallest vessel offered to Him.

The lesson is clear: do not despise your small beginnings. Do not think your faltering prayers too feeble or your disciplines too weak. The Eternal is not seeking perfection, but sincerity. Every step you take toward Him is met with greater steps from Him toward you. If you hunger, He will feed you; if you thirst, He will fill you; if you seek, you will find. What matters is not the size of your effort, but the direction of your heart.

Practical is this counsel: each day, choose one small act of devotion. Offer a brief prayer at dawn. Resist one temptation with self-control. Read one line of wisdom and let it dwell in your heart. These simple acts, done faithfully, will open your soul to streams of new strength, until the little flame becomes a fire. In this way, your life will not be measured by the size of your deeds, but by the constancy of your thirst for what God offers.

Thus remember the words of Richard Holloway: “His children shall be filled if they will only hunger and thirst after what he offers.” Let them be your guiding star when you feel weak and uncertain. For God’s eagerness is greater than your doubt, His strength is stronger than your frailty, and His filling is richer than all you could imagine. Step forward, even if feebly, and you shall be met by the abundance of heaven.