Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Our Heart's Desire (Ps. 20:3-4)

May He remember all your meal offerings
And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah.
May He grant you your heart's desire
And fulfill all your counsel!

(Psalm 20:3-4, NASB)

The Bible references this idea of God’s giving us our “heart’s desire” many times. And this can be taken either too lightly—God is the cosmic gumball machine where I can get anything I want—or without complete understanding. I took the following excerpt from my book, The Best Laid Plans. It seems quite appropriate today.

Many people point to certain verses they claim state that God will answer every prayer exactly the way they desire. They recite verses like Mark 11:24 where Jesus says, “whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” They memorize Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:7, 8 and state, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

Yes, people read and memorize and recite these words, and then, when they don’t get the answer they wanted, they claim that God isn’t who He says He is. This is very dangerous territory. Yes, these verses and others do speak to asking and receiving, but it is so important, even crucial, that every prayer be uttered with the words, “Your will be done, Lord.”

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