Seeking God’s Desires Leads to Abundant Life
Over the weekend, one of the FAM Fellowship members shared something the Lord put on his heart about the importance of making sure that we don’t fall into the trap of seeking our own desires over those of God. And that’s a battle that everyone standing for marriage restoration understands, because it’s so easy to be so focused on what we want without realizing that our desires may not be the same as God’s. Therefore, we need to be VERY careful about what we pray for and check our motives and attitude when we pray. While the Bible tells us the final outcome, it does NOT tell us HOW God will accomplish His plan in our individual situations. And since we know that His ways and thoughts are so much higher and different than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), the thing we pray against might well be the very thing God intends to use to bring about our restoration (Genesis 50:20)! So when we pray for something that is not specifically promised in the Word, that’s when we need to remember that it will be done ACCORDING TO GOD’S PLAN AND WILL and NOT just according to our prayers (1 John 5:14-15). Yet, when we pray something specifically promised or according to what is specifically stated in the Word; then we know that prayer will be heard and answered by God (Isaiah 55:10-11). On the other hand, James tells us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2-3)! God may even give us a word of knowledge or understanding through the power of the Holy Spirit with specific details, but the Rhema Word of God will NEVER contradict or conflict with His written Word. So it’s sometimes difficult to wrap our minds around seemingly conflicting ideas; exactly why God’s thoughts are said to be SO much higher and different than ours!
But most of the time, IF we take the time to really consider it, we can tell whether we are seeking OUR OWN will or what we KNOW to be the desire or will of our Heavenly Father! What if Joseph had prayed to escape his captors when his brothers sold him so he could go back home, which he probably really wanted to do with all of his heart? But no matter how much he wanted or believed it, God couldn’t grant the answer He desired; because He had much greater plans for Joseph and the role he would play in the salvation of a nation and his family. And IF NOT for being sold as he was, the very dream God had given him of his greatness and his brothers bowing down before him, never could have come to pass! Needless to say, the Bible is full of many similar examples. And many times, the very thing we think is so terrible and waste so much time and energy fretting about and dreading will be exactly what God uses to fulfill HIS plan and will for our lives (just as with Job; Job 3:25). So read the following message from MNO (Member Name Omitted) and be blessed and encouraged as you seek to always put God’s desires above your own!
For our marriages to be successful, we must pray that each of us have the desires of God in our hearts and not merely our own. It is so easy for us to get caught up in praying for our wives/husbands to be what we want and to possess our desires and not necessarily God’s. I know I am guilty of wanting my wife to be the wife of my dreams and the wife I had envisioned and hoped for; certainly the wife who would make me her priority and meet my needs and wants above hers and put me on a pedestal all of the time. I am sure my wife had the same expectations, since that is why we give up our singleness; we want more in marriage than we had being single. I truly believed that I could be all my wife wanted me to be as I entered marriage, and was even excited about being the husband she wanted. But I soon found out that in both cases, I was extremely naive.
As we experience the reality of marriage and any other relationship, we find that another person can in no way fulfill our unrealistic expectations. And then we begin to feel resentment and bitterness because our marriages are not what we thought they would be. So we begin to look for other people or things to fulfill what is missing. In some cases, separation and divorce occur and we think that is the solution. But once again, we find that it does not solve the problem or achieve what we thought it would. Not only has it destroyed the relationship with our spouse, but it has completely devastated our family structure.
The truth is in God. If we would put God first in each of our individual lives and then in our marriage and family relationships, we would then truly receive God’s best for us. In ANY situation, our desires will always reap Godly blessings when they are His desires. And the Bible warns us about our own selfish desires over and over again throughout both the Old and New Testaments. We see repeated blessings for those who sought and obeyed God’s desires as opposed to those who God brought to justice when they chased their own desires and ignored what God had commanded and asked of them.
God does not give us desires that are contrary to the abundant and joyful life He has planned for us. He protects us, guides and directs us for our own good. And His desires are far better than our own. But when we ignore His plans and desires, we find ourselves being disciplined and struggling with the consequences of our sin and disobedience.
Yet, there will always be great glory and blessings for us when we honor and obey God’s desires for our lives. He knows the plans for us and they are for good and not evil. We will live abundant and joyful lives as we align our desires with His. Our marriages will be restored and when they are, we must make sure that God’s desires are our priority in not only our marriages, but in our individual lives. So I pray that we will let go of our desires and pray that we let God instill His desires in each of us and in our spouses as He brings about the restoration of our marriages.
1 John 2:17 – The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
1 Peter 4:2 – As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
James 4:1 – [Submit Yourselves to God] What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
James 1:19-21 – My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
2 Timothy 2:22 – Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Ephesians 4:22 – You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
Galatians 5:24 – Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:17 – For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Galatians 5:16 – [Life by the Spirit] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Romans 13:14 – Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Romans 8:5 – Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Romans 6:12 – Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Mark 4:19 – but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Habakkuk 2:4 – “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith-