The Desires of My Heart

While praying this morning I leaned back in my office chair and asked the Father if He had anything He wanted to speak to me. I did not have an agenda. I honestly longed for a fresh word from the Lord about anything He wanted to say to me. I intentionally sat back, rested my head on the headrest, and tried to listen. At first everything was fuzzy like radio frequency that comes in and out with static because it is fully tuned. Suddenly I felt a slight impression to turn to Psalm 37.

When I opened my Bible to that chapter the page fell open to the middle of the Psalm. I began browsing highlighted scriptures from past readings but nothing caught my attention until I worked my way backward and my eyes fell on verses 3-5. “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. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will act.” [Ps 37:3-5]

I am not at liberty to go in great detail about what I prayed for but it seems to me that over the course of the past few days the Lord has been speaking to me about one of the greatest desires of my heart I have longed for this one thing over the past decade. I have laid that desire before Him continually and I believe it is desire that was first given by God. In other words, God put that desire in my heart. As I read through those scriptures it was as if the Lord was saying to me, “I gave you that desire. It is okay to desire that. Trust me for it and watch me go to work to bring it to pass.”

Many times I thought I was well on my way to having that specific desire of my heart met. Each time it was snatched out of my hands leaving me confused. All I can tell you is this desire has nothing to do with material possessions. I lost hope a time or two. I had been living in such a season until I was sitting in a funeral the other day. I had finished my portion and was sitting on the front pew when out of nowhere the Lord grabbed my attention. It was a powerful moment shared by the two of us. The pastor seated next to me had no idea what the Lord was doing in my life just inches away in those moments. He was resurfacing and confirming that desire of my heart. I sat all ears while the Lord spoke a short and clear message to my heart. Since that day, the Lord seems to be reassuring me of His purpose to grant me this desire of my heart. At least three other times He has brought this matter back up to me over the past several days.

As God brings that desire to pass I have a few responsibilities. First, I am to be faithful day in and day out. Right here seated at my desk and behind this computer I am to be faithful as a pastor, preacher, and author. I am also to be faithful as a husband and father and not let my pastoral calling overshadow my family. I am also responsible to trust God to bring the desires of my heart to pass. That is great news to me. I do not have to make it happen or force that desire into reality. It takes all the pressure off. I am called to trust Him to act. If my desire ever becomes reality He will be the one to do it. Finally, I am responsible to commit my way to Him. That means I lay my life, my family, my ministry, and our future before Him. He can be trusted with all of those things. God calls the shots and my job is to obey and follow whatever directions He gives me.

Here is my counsel to you. Be faithful. Trust God. Commit your life to Him. If we are doing that, the Lord will give us the desires of our heart. Time will tell.