Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 1-2; Hebrews 8; Amos 2; Psalm 145
Psalms 145:19-20 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
What a wonderful promise! He will fulfill the desires that I have. Isn’t that what we all want? A benevolent God who is ready to give us what we want is what everyone needs, right? Just think of children for a moment. (We are called God’s children.) There are a lot of desires in the hearts of little children. Going into a store can be an interesting journey at times because they can desire almost everything in the place! Just imagine what a wreck your children’s lives would be if you gave them everything they desired. Now imagine what a wreck your life would be if God gave you everything you desired.
We must read the Bible in context! This verse has a qualifier for God fulfilling our desires. It says he fulfills the desires of them that fear him. A person who fears God is a born-again believer in Jesus. This person has had their heart changed by the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work and they love God. They truly want what he wants them to have. This makes all the difference in the world. The Bible says of our confidence in prayer:
1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
God hears and answers the prayer of the believer who fears him. He preserves the lives of those who love him. He answers those prayers that are the desires of our hearts according to his will. The Psalms say in another place:
Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
The one who delights himself in the LORD is the one who fears God. He gives this child the desires of his heart because the desires of the heart of a believer line up with the will of our loving Heavenly Father. The key to answered prayer is to let your heart be so full of God that you desire what he desires.
In Christ,
Rody
