So often we set our hearts and minds on something that we think we need (or maybe we just really, really want), so we pray and pray and pray for it. Not always, but more times than not, we pray for something out of our own ambition or selfish motives, not out of a heart that seeks God’s will and best for our life (example: finances for a new car when we have one with four wheels that gets us from point A to point B, a boy or girl to like us, to get that “perfect” job, to get into our dream college, etc.). While none of those things are necessarily wrong to pray for, we have to be clear on our motives behind praying for them.
“Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4
Everybody knows this verse, but I think so often we read, He will give you the desires of your heart without focusing on the first and key point of the scripture. God wants to bless us far more than we can ever imagine, and yes, He wants us to ask for things – needs and wants. But here is the kicker, our prayers need to be aligned with His heartbeat. Delight yourself in the Lord first and foremost, and in return from seeking Him, our prayers will be more aligned with His perfect plan for our lives. The more we are seeking Him, the closer we become and the better we understand His answer, even if it is "ABSOLUTELY NO”.
Sadly, we live in a world where we normally get exactly what we want when we want it, or at least have instant access to. We do not have to wait for anything. However, waiting is sometimes part of the plan. We can pray and pray and pray, but we also have to wait and wait and wait to hear His voice telling us yes, no, or not right now. The “not right now’s” leave us with a glimpse of hope that it could easily become a YES. But the “no’s” leave us upset, frustrated, and sometimes angry.
No matter what age you are, you’ve probably prayed for something and received an answer so differently than you expected, and if you haven’t, you will soon enough. Think back to one of those moments when you prayed with every ounce of your being for something you wanted so badly, but God said no instead. Maybe He said no instantly, or maybe it was something you had prayed for weeks, or months, or maybe even years before you heard Him say, “No. This is not My plan for you”. In that moment, you may have been understanding, or you may have been hurt or angry, but looking back now, do you see how He was blessing you? Unanswered prayers are frequently such blessings in disguise! I know there are so many of my plans that I’m SO thankful God said, “No! This is not My plan for you”. I may not have seen His plan at the time or even understood why He wasn’t giving me the desires of my heart, but now I see His grace and undeserving blessings all over it more now because of it. Let’s go back to ‘not giving me the desires of my heart,’ for a second – I have to ask myself, “Was I seeking YOUR plan and YOUR will, or was I seeking MY plan and MY will?" Y’all, let’s start praying with motives that are flowing from His heartbeat, not ours.
We are ultimately not in control of our lives, BUT He is (thank goodness, can I get an AMEN?) and He has a plan far better and bigger than we can see. Jesus has us in the palm of His hands with our very best interest at heart, so if He says, “No,” He has a purpose behind it. We have to remember to give our full focus and life to Him. When we pray, we have to walk about leaving it in His hands, not praying with the intentions of keeping it tightly in our hands or our control. With that being said, I am so very thankful that for some unanswered prayers in my life because they truly are some of God’s greatest gifts!
