The Desires of Your Heart—What Are You Really Asking For?

Heavenly Father, we come before You today with open hearts, ready to hear from Your Word. We ask that You align our desires with Your will and guide us toward the things that truly matter. Help us understand the deep truth of Your promises and remind us that when our hearts are aligned with Yours, we’ll never be disappointed. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Good morning, everyone! Let me start by asking you a simple question: What do you really want? I mean, think about it. If you could have anything in the world—no limits, no consequences—what would be at the top of your list? Maybe a million dollars? A brand-new car? A beach house with unlimited Wi-Fi?

But here’s the thing: When it comes to our desires, we all have things we really want. We want love, success, security, happiness. But the Bible tells us that God promises to give us the desires of our hearts. Wait a minute. Did you catch that? God wants to give us the desires of our hearts? That sounds like a great deal! But here’s the catch: God promises to give us the desires of our hearts if they align with His will. That’s where the rubber meets the road.

Today, let’s dive into what it means to have God-shaped desires, how to align our hearts with His, and why it’s important to ask for what’s in His will—not just what we want in the moment.

What Are the Desires of Your Heart?

In Psalm 37:4, it says,

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." 

Now, right off the bat, you might think, “That’s great! If I want a new iPhone or a year’s supply of chocolate cake, I just need to delight in the Lord, and bam, it’s mine!” But let’s break this down a bit.

First off, the key here is that you have to delight yourself in the Lord. It’s not just about going to church on Sunday and then living like the world Monday through Saturday. No, this is about truly making God the center of your life and delighting in who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s going to do. When you’re truly focused on God and His goodness, your desires begin to change.

Think about it like this: When you fall in love with someone, you start to care about the things they care about. If your spouse loves hiking, suddenly, you’re excited about that 5 a.m. sunrise hike, too (even though you secretly love your bed). When you delight in God, your desires start aligning with His heart, and that’s when the magic happens.

It’s like when you walk into a restaurant, and the waiter says, “What would you like?” If you’re looking at the menu and you see a nice juicy steak, but you know your doctor told you to eat more veggies, you might think, "Maybe today’s the day I go for that roasted Brussels sprout salad." Suddenly, your desire shifts.

So, what are the desires of your heart? Do they line up with God's desires? If you find yourself wanting things that feel more about self than about Him, it might be time to take a step back and ask, “Is this desire for me, or is it for God’s glory?” Because when our hearts are in tune with His, we want what He wants.

God’s Will Is Better Than Our Will

Here’s the reality check: Our hearts can be really good at wanting things that aren’t always the best for us. I mean, I’m sure you’ve had those moments where you thought, “This is what I need, God. Please, I need it now!” You beg and plead for that job promotion, the perfect relationship, or that vacation to Bora Bora. But sometimes, God’s response is a gentle, “Not yet,” or “I’ve got something better.”

And guess what? He’s right. His will is better than our will. Way better. Like, next-level better.

Take a look at James 4:3, where it says,

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” 

God isn’t in the business of giving us things just to make us happy for a moment. If our desires aren’t aligned with His will, we’ll end up disappointed, because our hearts want what’s temporary, while God’s heart wants what’s eternal.

Think of it like this: If you’re asking for a candy bar every day, God isn’t going to give you a candy bar just because you asked for it. He might give you a healthy snack or a full-course meal that’s better for you in the long run. In the same way, God will give us the desires of our hearts if those desires are aligned with His good and perfect plan for our lives.

Ask for What’s in His Will

Now, let’s talk about what it looks like to ask for what’s in God’s will. If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes our desires are like a toddler in a toy store—we want everything, even the things that would cause chaos in our lives. But God is our Heavenly Father, and He knows what’s best for us. In 1 John 5:14, we are told,

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” 

What a beautiful promise! When we ask God for things that align with His will, He’s not only listening, He’s ready to answer.

But here’s the trick—we need to know what God’s will is. That means staying close to Him, reading His Word, and listening for His voice. The more we know Him, the more our hearts align with His desires. And when that happens, we begin to ask for the right things—things like wisdom, peace, strength, joy, and love.

For example, let’s say you’re struggling in your job, and you want that promotion. Instead of just praying, “God, give me that promotion, give me that promotion!” try this: “God, give me the wisdom and patience to be the best employee I can be. Help me to reflect Your character at work, no matter the position.” Suddenly, your desires are aligned with God’s will—and guess what? He will give you the desires of your heart, but not just in the way you expected. You might get that promotion, or you might get a completely different, better opportunity. Either way, you’ll be in His will.

Trust in His Timing

Here’s the last thing I want to leave you with today: Trust in God’s timing. When God promises to give us the desires of our hearts, He’s not saying He’ll do it on our timetable. Just because we want something right now doesn’t mean it’s the right time.

Sometimes God says, “Yes, but not yet.” Sometimes, He says, “I’ve got something better, just wait.” And sometimes, He says, “I love you too much to give you that.” But whatever the answer, we can trust that God is working everything together for our good (Romans 8:28). His timing is perfect.

Conclusion

So, church, as we look at the desires of our hearts, let’s ask ourselves: Are our desires aligned with God’s? Are we truly delighting in Him, so that our hearts desire the things He desires? Because when our hearts are in tune with His, He promises to give us the desires that will truly fulfill us, that will make us more like Jesus, and that will bring glory to His name.

Let’s stop asking for candy bars and start asking for the good, perfect, and eternal things that God wants for us. And as we do, let’s trust that He will always give us what’s best for us, in His perfect timing.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for the beautiful promise that You will give us the desires of our hearts. Help us to align our desires with Your will, so that we can live lives that honor You. We trust in Your perfect timing and plan for our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

So, friends, let’s delight in the Lord, ask for His will, and trust that He will give us the desires of our hearts. And when He does, it’s going to be better than anything we could have imagined!