A Prayer for God’s Ways Over Our Own - Your Daily Prayer - April 27
A Prayer for God’s Ways Over Our Own
By: Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading:
"Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” - Psalm 37:4, NKJV
Listen or Read Below:
When I am pulled into the temptation to complain about my circumstances, I must ask myself some questions to gain perspective and conduct a serious heart assessment: if I am always seeking an escape from the discomfort or trial, am I truly satisfied in Christ alone? Am I looking to material things, people, or enjoyable experiences to find peace or joy? Am I truly content with what God has already provided for me in Christ? We know, as believers, that we can always find answers and direction in the scriptures.
Psalm 37:4 tells us to:
"Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4, NKJV).
The Hebrew word translated “delight” literally means to be delicate or feminine. It carries the idea of being pliable or sensitive. In this specific context in Psalm 37, it means to be dependent upon God and to derive one’s pleasure from Him.
When we read this verse, we usually picture the word delight to mean to enjoy God, which, in a way, it does. But as I went deeper into researching the Hebrew meaning of the word, I realized the verse is a command to us. God is commanding us to find our pleasure and contentment in Him alone.
Here, also in this verse, the Lord is telling us that He will give us the desires of our hearts once we fully depend on Him and His ways. When we have a full understanding of who God is and what His ways are like, we can take genuine pleasure in Him. Not because of what He can do for us, but just because of who He is.
What begins to happen the more we take delight in the Lord, He begins to change our hearts and change our desires to reflect His desires. Instead of thinking more about ourselves and what we want, we begin to think more highly of others and become less self-focused and selfish. Suddenly, one of our greatest desires then becomes to please God and tell others about Him, using our lives to give God all the glory He deserves.
Jesus is the One who gives us the strength and ability to remain content no matter what we are experiencing. True contentment is knowing that Jesus alone can satisfy our souls. When we search for fulfillment in things, people, or even our circumstances, we will always come up short. All of these things we try to fill our lives with aren’t necessarily bad things, but when they become the end goals and the reason for our being, they become idols in our lives. We end up being discontented because those things were never meant to fulfill us. Jesus is the only one who can bring true contentment into our lives. May we learn to delight in Him, and over time, we will begin to see how He changes our desires to look more like Him. Take some time to reflect, journal, and express your gratitude to the Lord. If you are feeling discontented, ask the Lord to help you find satisfaction and peace in Him alone.
Let’s Pray:
Lord,
Sometimes I get swept away in complaining about my circumstances when life just feels boring or dull, and I long for more. I repent for having a heart of entitlement or ungratefulness for all that You have lavished upon me. I know You have given me all I need and that I should rest in contentment because, most of all, You have given me a relationship with You, which is the most important thing in my life.
Help me find a heart of thanksgiving even in the mundane and seek Your ways over my own ways. I long to find true satisfaction in You alone. Please give me the grace to delight in Your goodness and faithfulness as I shine my light into the world, all for Your glory.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Zinkevych
Related Resource: A Prayer for When You Feel Spiritually Tired
There is a particular kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with how much sleep you got last night. It's the weariness that settles into your soul when you've been going hard for a long time — when prayer feels hollow, worship feels distant, and you find yourself sitting in church thinking about everything except what's being said. If that's where you are tonight, this episode was written for you. If you like what you hear, follow Your Nightly Prayer on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
