We live in a fast-paced society. In today's world, we often want what we want and expect it immediately. Unfortunately, this mindset can trickle down into our prayer lives if we let it. Without much thought or consideration, we often pray prayers that only tell God what we want, expecting Him to give us what we need, much like a transaction with a vending machine. Scripture offers us a different approach to prayer, one that seeks God and His will for our lives, rather than simply telling Him what we want and think we need.
Jesus taught about the importance of seeking God and His kingdom, rather than just our own wants and desires, in Matthew 7. As He taught about prayer in this passage of Scripture, He said, "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for" (verse 7). Then, He continued saying, "Keep on seeking, and you will find" (verse 7). We talked about the call to "keep on asking" and making our requests known to God yesterday. Not only are we called to keep asking. We are also called to keep seeking. We are to continually seek the things of God and His kingdom as we pray, rather than focusing solely on what we want God to do. David teaches us what it looks like to seek God over everything else in Psalm 37. In this chapter, he wrote, "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires" (verse 4). To seek God and His kingdom over everything else means to focus all of our time, attention, and affection on Him. This includes reading and memorizing Scripture, focusing on prayer, and engaging in meaningful conversations about God and His Word with other Christ followers. As we take delight in the Lord and seek Him, we will find that He changes our hearts so that we begin to want what He wants. That is why God gives the promise that when we delight in Him, He gives us the desires of our hearts. This does not mean that God gives us whatever we want, but instead that our wants and desires begin to align with His as we seek Him and His kingdom.
When it comes to your prayer life, are you seeking God and His kingdom, or are you solely focused on your own wants and needs? Take time today and seek God and His kingdom. Spend time in prayer and focusing on your Scripture reading today. You will find that as you seek Him, your own desires and wants will align with His.
Follow the example we read in Scripture today and seek God. Ask Him to reveal to you what He wants for your life. Seek out His plans over your own. As you delight in Him and the things of Him, you will find that He changes your heart so that your desires match His.
1 Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
2 For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
8 Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
10 Soon the wicked will disappear.
Though you look for them, they will be gone.
11 The lowly will possess the land
and will live in peace and prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the godly;
they snarl at them in defiance.
13 But the Lord just laughs,
for he sees their day of judgment coming.
14 The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
to slaughter those who do right.
15 But their swords will stab their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.
18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
19 They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.
20 But the wicked will die.
The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—
they will disappear like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.
22 Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.
23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.
25 Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
26 The godly always give generous loans to others,
and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will die.
29 The godly will possess the land
and will live there forever.
30 The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
31 They have made God’s law their own,
so they will never slip from his path.
32 The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
looking for an excuse to kill them.
33 But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
34 Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.
35 I have seen wicked and ruthless people
flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone!
Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;
they have no future.
39 The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in him.
