The Desires of the Heart

By God’s grace, your desires can become what God already desires!

We’re learning that there are many ways to “pray in the Spirit” as Paul exhorts us in Ephesians. Praying in the Spirit doesn’t just refer to the spiritual gift of tongues—it also refers to any kind of prayer that is infused with the intentions and passions of the Spirit. Whenever we pray in accord with God’s own heart, we find ourselves connected to Him in the Spirit. David highlighted the beautiful connection in Psalm 37:

 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4, ESV).

The Spirit of God within you desires only what is best for you and wants to lead your heart into desiring His holy best. When you delight yourself in the Lord, your desires become increasingly like God’s desires. Prayer becomes a glorious synchronization of your heart with God’s. God’s desires flow through you back to God to release God’s best for you.

When you delight yourself in the Lord, you align yourself with the truth. If you are tempted to lust, it’s because the deepest desire of your heart has been distorted or covered up. What we really want is love – deep, unconditional, covenantal love – but, when our hearts are calloused or dull, crammed full of the world, we lose touch with the heart’s desire and we’re more in touch with the flesh’s desire.

If you want to pray in the Spirit, think much of the gift of Christ. Think much of the love of God. Let the love of God and all His goodness flood your heart. Forget not all His benefits. Think about the infinite mercies of God. Delight yourself in the Lord and your heart’s desires will align with the truth.

It’s those desires – those deep, God-given desires that God wants to hear from you. When your heart is aligned with God’s, He’ll give you your heart’s desires. And that’s the Gospel!