Step 5- Pray Your Desires..No Really...It's Okay
Psalm 37:3-6 (ESV): Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Praying your desires can be tricky, but it’s not as complicated as we make it out to be. Obviously, you don’t want something to come about that isn’t God’s will for you. At the same time, God will start to speak to you about His will for your life as you draw nearer to Him. Furthermore, God cares about what you want!!! Maybe we have felt shamed in the past for thinking that our desires were not important enough to bring to Him, but that just isn't true.
It is true that not everyone will get married, but when God’s Spirit lives in us and we are walking by the Spirit, He controls our desires. That desire in your heart is there for a reason. Just be careful not to put that desire above your desire for God.
Pray Bold Prayers
“God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God”- Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker
The more I begin to pray things that are in line with God’s will and see that God wants them as well, the more I am encouraged to pray boldly. Asking God to do more than we could ever dare ask or imagine is a bold prayer. You can ask God for big things no matter how ridiculous or big they may be. That doesn't necessarily mean you always get what you ask for, but God is in the business of answering prayers, so you never know. He may even give you more than you ask. All I am saying is the bolder your prayer, the bolder your answer.
If you want to see God move, pray for things that bring Him glory. When asking for things that will bring Him praise, His name is the one on the line, not yours. Elijah put God’s name on the line when He asked for God to rain down fire from heaven. Let's look at His prayer below:
1 Kings 18: 36-40 (ESV): And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
The Lord acted because of who He was, not because of who Elijah was. Not only is our salvation not based on our own merits, but also God's gifts are not based on what we do and do not do; however, having faith in Him, placing your hope in Him, and asking Him to do things that give Him glory are ways to change our circumstances. This makes me think of another verse: Jeremiah 16:21 (ESV) "Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord." Ask God to make you know His power and His might and know that His name is the Lord. It's alright to ask Him to show out. Honestly, I often think we don't pray boldly enough.
Be Specific
29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
What do you want Jesus to do for you? Have you told him in detail about the intricate desires of your heart? Of course, He already knows, but He wants you to learn to depend on him and to talk to him about your desires. “Well-defined prayers give God an opportunity to display His power in new ways. Well-developed faith results in well-defined prayers, and well-defined prayers result in well-defined answers.”- Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker
Make a list of your desires and start praying through the list at least once each day. Add to the list as new desires spring forth. Make the list so specific that you will know it is God when He answers. His answer for something you ask for may still be no, but if it’s yes and it’s exactly what you asked for, your faith will increase.
A Bold Prayer for Specific Desires:
Thank you for caring about the desires of my heart. I praise you through this difficult season, but like Jacob, I ask that you bless me, and I am not letting go until you bless me. I want someone to want me to be their family and to want to have a family with me. I want someone who fights for me. I want someone who puts you first. I want someone who wants me over everyone else. I want someone who is a spiritual leader. I want someone who sees a future with me and thinks of me when making plans. I want a husband who has things is common with me and can be a best friend. I want someone who thinks I’m beautiful all the time. Please cover me with your grace and your love. Help me to feel wanted and needed. Shape me to be the type of woman who would attract the type of man I want. Do a mighty work and immeasurably more than I could ever dare ask or hope. Please orchestrate the events in meeting my husband so that you get the glory. Allow me to marry someone who leads me closer to You. Take my life and mold it into something that only You can make. You make beautiful creatures from the dust of the ground. I am but a vessel. Give me favor with both God and Man. Provide for me as you provided a ram for Abraham in his time of need. I am laying my Isaac down at your feet. Please grant me with blessings and goodness. I am confident that I will see your goodness in the land of the living. I am confident in the work You are about to do. Help me to keep my eyes on You more than my desires.
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Praying your desires can be tricky, but it’s not as complicated as we make it out to be. Obviously, you don’t want something to come about that isn’t God’s will for you. At the same time, God will start to speak to you about His will for your life as you draw nearer to Him. Furthermore, God cares about what you want!!! Maybe we have felt shamed in the past for thinking that our desires were not important enough to bring to Him, but that just isn't true.
It is true that not everyone will get married, but when God’s Spirit lives in us and we are walking by the Spirit, He controls our desires. That desire in your heart is there for a reason. Just be careful not to put that desire above your desire for God.
Pray Bold Prayers
“God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God”- Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker
The more I begin to pray things that are in line with God’s will and see that God wants them as well, the more I am encouraged to pray boldly. Asking God to do more than we could ever dare ask or imagine is a bold prayer. You can ask God for big things no matter how ridiculous or big they may be. That doesn't necessarily mean you always get what you ask for, but God is in the business of answering prayers, so you never know. He may even give you more than you ask. All I am saying is the bolder your prayer, the bolder your answer.
If you want to see God move, pray for things that bring Him glory. When asking for things that will bring Him praise, His name is the one on the line, not yours. Elijah put God’s name on the line when He asked for God to rain down fire from heaven. Let's look at His prayer below:
1 Kings 18: 36-40 (ESV): And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
The Lord acted because of who He was, not because of who Elijah was. Not only is our salvation not based on our own merits, but also God's gifts are not based on what we do and do not do; however, having faith in Him, placing your hope in Him, and asking Him to do things that give Him glory are ways to change our circumstances. This makes me think of another verse: Jeremiah 16:21 (ESV) "Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord." Ask God to make you know His power and His might and know that His name is the Lord. It's alright to ask Him to show out. Honestly, I often think we don't pray boldly enough.
Be Specific
29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
What do you want Jesus to do for you? Have you told him in detail about the intricate desires of your heart? Of course, He already knows, but He wants you to learn to depend on him and to talk to him about your desires. “Well-defined prayers give God an opportunity to display His power in new ways. Well-developed faith results in well-defined prayers, and well-defined prayers result in well-defined answers.”- Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker
Make a list of your desires and start praying through the list at least once each day. Add to the list as new desires spring forth. Make the list so specific that you will know it is God when He answers. His answer for something you ask for may still be no, but if it’s yes and it’s exactly what you asked for, your faith will increase.
A Bold Prayer for Specific Desires:
Thank you for caring about the desires of my heart. I praise you through this difficult season, but like Jacob, I ask that you bless me, and I am not letting go until you bless me. I want someone to want me to be their family and to want to have a family with me. I want someone who fights for me. I want someone who puts you first. I want someone who wants me over everyone else. I want someone who is a spiritual leader. I want someone who sees a future with me and thinks of me when making plans. I want a husband who has things is common with me and can be a best friend. I want someone who thinks I’m beautiful all the time. Please cover me with your grace and your love. Help me to feel wanted and needed. Shape me to be the type of woman who would attract the type of man I want. Do a mighty work and immeasurably more than I could ever dare ask or hope. Please orchestrate the events in meeting my husband so that you get the glory. Allow me to marry someone who leads me closer to You. Take my life and mold it into something that only You can make. You make beautiful creatures from the dust of the ground. I am but a vessel. Give me favor with both God and Man. Provide for me as you provided a ram for Abraham in his time of need. I am laying my Isaac down at your feet. Please grant me with blessings and goodness. I am confident that I will see your goodness in the land of the living. I am confident in the work You are about to do. Help me to keep my eyes on You more than my desires.
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