Sometimes we pray and ask God for a long list of things we want or need. We start asking for things that we desire. Sometimes we do not get those things. We think that God just decided to deny the request, but could it be that the Bible tells us how to have our heart's desire? Let's look at the text.
Psalm 37:4
Delight thyself also in the LORD: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
So there it is! The formula for getting your heart's desire: delight thyself in the LORD. How do you delight in the LORD? It means to "please (someone) greatly" according to the dictionary. Who are we supposed to please greatly? God!
Do we know what it takes to please God? Hebrews 11:6 says But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. So we have to believe, or have faith in God. We believe He is able to do what we ask of Him. We believe that He will reward us as we earnestly seek Him. So the first thing we must have is FAITH!
Next we see that God rewards us when we diligently seek Him. It is not enough to go to church once or twice a week. In fact, church is very critical in a Christian's walk with God but it is not where we are actively seeking Him. We should be engaged with Him through the Holy Spirit in church. We need to be seeking Him throughout the week. To diligently seek Him means to constantly make an effort to find Him. It also means to be attentive and persistent. So it's not just reading a memory verse here and there; saying a quick prayer when you get into trouble; or reading a simple devotion book and ten minutes later you can't even recall what you read. No, it's an ongoing effort to seek Him out with your focus solely on Him. The Bible says when we look for Him in that way, not only will we find Him but we will be rewarded. Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
When we look for God in every area of our lives, we will find Him. He will be there! He will manifest Himself to us. When we sacrificially look for Him for the sake of finding Him, being in His presence, learning more about Him, then we will begin to see our lives changed in ways we could never imagine!
Have you been doing those things? Do you have the faith to believe He is going to give you your heart's desire? If you are in His presence, constantly looking for Him in every area of your life, and giving the reigns over to Him, to make the decisions for you in the areas that matter most, you will begin to see those heart's desires realized. If you want God to move, demonstrate your faith in Him, and chase after Him like nothing else in your life and I promise you that you will lack no good thing!
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens