WILL GOD GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART?
By BIBLEMAN
What are the desires of your heart? Has God given you all the desires of your heart? Maybe for you it is to have a better job, a stress-free life, a home or business of your own? Maybe you need to find a good Christian spouse to be your faithful and loyal helper through life? Maybe it is to become debt free or to enjoy good health? Maybe you just want to have a closer relationship with the Lord but maybe that seems difficult to establish in your life? Maybe your desires are a combination of the above things…or something else? Do you seem to be stuck in a rut unable to get out of your dire circumstances and unable to latch onto those things you need and want. Does it seem like the answers to your prayers are elusive and hard to obtain? Does it seem like you are treading in water but never getting anywhere? Maybe you are beginning to believe that the answers to your prayers are never going to be fulfilled by God?
The good news is that if you are willing to establish a closer walk with God and follow certain principles in the Bible the Lord promises to answer your prayers and give you the desires of your heart according to His will!
Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalms 37: 3-5
TRUSTING IN THE LORD
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. Psalms 84:12
You must place your faith and trust in God if you seek for Him to direct your steps and answer your prayers. To trust in God is to put your faith in Him and confidently believe that He will allow His best plans for your life to succeed. Put your life in His hands and let Him direct your steps (Prov. 16:9). One key to King David’s success was that he fully trusted in the Lord to help Him through every situation in life (Ps. 21:6,7). You must trust in the Lord with all your heart and believe with assurance and confidence that God has a perfect plan for your life and that He will place your feet on the right path (Prov. 3:5). If we depart from evil and acknowledge Him in everything we do He promises to guide us through life (Prov. 3:5-7). Those who trust in God will be happy (Prov. 16:20), they will be safe from harm and danger (Prov. 29:25), they will prosper in life (Prov. 28:25), they will be delivered from troubles and trials (Dan. 3:28), and God will grant them the desires of their heart (Ps. 37:4-7). Be confident and fully assured that the Lord will answer your prayers and give you what you need and want when you ask Him for those things in prayer (Mk. 11:24).
LIVING FOR THE LORD
No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11
He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him Psalm 145:19
Not only must you trust in God but you must also live a good and upright life (Rom. 12:9-21; 13:7-14). You must live a good life that is honest, moral, trustworthy, honorable and just (Phil. 4:8,9). We are to be honest in all of our dealings with people and a people who are set apart by our integrity (Ps. 25:21; Prov. 28:6; Isa. 26:7; 1 Pet. 2:9-25). We must never lie or practice any kind of deceit or dishonesty (Prov. 12:22). Christians are to practice a godly, honorable and peaceful life free from scandal (Isa. 26:10; 33:15; Acts 6:3; 1 Tim. 2:2,3; 1 Thes. 4:6). Be someone who is known for their good deeds, good works, and upright character, for this is well pleasing to God (Ps. 15:2; 1 Thes. 4:11,12; Heb. 13:16-21). A wise and understanding Christian will maintain an upright walk and be blessed by God (1 Chron. 29:17; Prov. 15:21). An upright person will apply God’s word to their life and live according to the truth of the gospel (Mic. 2:7; Gal. 2:14-21). An upright person will also avoid worldly ventures, associations, and allurements (Prov. 2:7-22). An upright person is a God-fearing person who departs from all the paths of sin, death and destruction (Prov. 14:2, 27). God gave King David the desire of his heart to have a son to sit on his throne because he was a righteous man and had an upright heart (1 Kings 3:6).
LOVING THE LORD
Thou salt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matt. 22:37
If you want God to give you the desires of your heart you must love Him and delight yourself in Him. To delight yourself in the Lord is to do those things that please Him. Take great pleasure in pleasing and worshiping the Lord. Let Him be your greatest source of satisfaction and pleasure. Find out what displeases the Lord such as worldliness and pride and avoid those ways. If you love the things of the world or have worldly hobbies and pastimes then you may love the world and its pleasures more than God (2 Tim. 3:4; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). The Christian life is a transformed life (Rom. 12:2). If you seek a right relationship with God and become a righteous person He promises to give you everything you need in this life (Matt. 6:33). God always hears the prayers of the righteous (Prov. 15:29).
If you love the Lord you will delight to do His will and walk in a way that pleases Him (Ps. 40:8; Col. 1:10). You will also want to set your affections on godly things and heavenly things rather than worldly things (Col. 3:2-10). Our love for God is measured by how well we keep His commandments, His laws or teachings, and how we treat other people (Jn. 14:15,23; 1 Jn. 4:20). Lip service to God is unacceptable for He tries the hearts of His people. We must worship Him in spirit and in truth and get out of any congregation that teaches false doctrine (Ps. 145:18; Matt. 15:8,9; Jn. 4:23,24; Phil. 3:2,3). Come out of any group or church that teaches false doctrine (2 Cor. 6:14-18; Rev. 18:4). If you love God and obey Him He will keep His covenant of love to you and grant you what He has promised (Deut. 7:9). Those who love the Lord enjoy studying and meditating in His word (Ps. 1:2). They seek to please the Lord in their walk by obeying His commandments and living right (1 Jn. 3:22). If we abide in Him and His words abide in us we can have anything we ask for because it will be in line with His will for our life (Jn. 15:7). There is also a great blessing to all who delight in the Lord by keeping His truly ordained Sabbath day holy (Isa. 58:13,14). God is a rewarder of those who seek Him and delight themselves in Him (Ps. 37:3-5; Heb. 11:6)
SERVING GOD
Commit thy way unto the Lord…and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:5
It is very important that we commit our ways to God and consider His will rather than have our own way and do our own thing (Matt. 7:21; 1 Jn. 5:14,15). We are servants of God not self-will and carnal appetites (Ps. 66:18; Rom. 6:12,13). It is time to deny self, take up our cross, and follow Jesus (Matt. 16:24). We must never ask for the Lord to give us things that would be spiritually harmful to us such as the desire for wealth and riches (1 Tim. 6:9-11). Whatever we yield ourselves to is who we serve. If we are servants of righteousness we are not living in sin but are obedient to the Lord (Rom. 6:16-18). We are to consecrate ourselves to God, to live for Him and serve Him in a way that is acceptable to Him (Rom. 12:1). Those who serve God must follow God and obey Him (Lk. 6:44; Jn. 12:26). We are to establish the Lordship of Christ in our life and put God first. Be faithful and dedicated to the one who purchased you with His own shed blood (Josh. 24:14,15; 1 Cor. 4:1,2). You should therefore glorify God in your spirit and in your body (1 Cor. 6:19,20).
Yes, God will give you the desires of your heart if you trust in Him, live for Him, love Him and serve Him as He has taught us to do from His word.
