In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
John 16:23-24

If I were to ask you to name the desire of your heart, would you have an answer? How long would it take you to express your deepest, most genuine yearning?

Of course, most of us have a seemingly endless list of things that we want, whether it be a big screen TV, a new car, a promotion at work, or the respect we think we deserve. Things are added to and removed from our want list every day; our wants are frequently dictated by what those around us have. Sometimes simply seeing a friend’s new vehicle will give us “car fever,” even if we have a perfectly fine automobile sitting in the driveway.

Our wants come and go, but what about our true desires? If you’ve never taken the time to meditate prayerfully on this issue, then you may not even know what your heart’s desires are. And, if that is the case, how can you request them from God? The simple answer is, you can’t.

Not knowing what we truly desire leads us to offer up a string of prayers for random, incoherent wants rather than genuine, heartfelt desires. Sometimes the Lord graciously answers these requests; other times He even more graciously protects us from foolish wants by saying no. If our requests are not grounded in prayer and heartfelt sincerity, however, we may never understand why they go unanswered.

Are you able to articulate your heart’s desire today? If not, dedicate some prayer time this week to the issue. First, ask the Lord to open your eyes to what He desires for you. Then, request that He make His desires your own.

CHARLES F. STANLEY