Peanut Butter and Other Desires of Our Hearts Part II

Last week I shared that it isn't uncommon for well meaning people to claim, “God wants to give us the desires of our heart.  All we have to do is ask,” yet we simply cannot rightly conclude that the Father’s will is to always fulfill every desire of our heart.  When Jesus prayed at Gethsemane, He knew it was appropriate, even necessary to express His desire to the Father that the cup of death would pass over Him.  However, even greater than what He wanted, He knew that the Father’s will was perfect.  And for Him, the Father’s will was death on the cross.  Therefore… he prayed that the Father’s will be accomplished through His death.

We could argue all day long that God’s will is to always give us the desires of our hearts.  But… how do we reconcile Job 42:2, I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted (Job 42:2).  If it is Father’s plan to always satisfy our desires, it would be accomplished!  It obviously is not!  Could it be that we don’t get what we ask for because we aren't praying according to His plan?

So… if it isn't always comfort, if it isn't always healing, if it isn't always physical needs, and if it isn't always transformation of our loved ones; what are the gifts from the Father that we can always be certain of:

The Gift of Christ Himself – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The Gift of Faith – For by such grace you have been saved through faith.  This does not come from you, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

The Gift of the Holy Spirit – Jesus answered the woman at the well, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water (John 4:10).  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him’.  By this he meant the Spirit (John 7:38-39).

The Fruits of the Spirit – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

The Gift of Truth – But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth (John16:13).

The Gift of Individual Personal Abilities – Each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that (1Corinthians 7:7).

The Gift of Righteousness – For if, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).

The Gift of Eternal Life - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).

The Gift of Wisdom and Understanding – Turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:2-5).

Don’t let anyone fool you into believing that you must meet certain requirements before God will answer your prayers.  I spent years in anguish, confusion and even anger over trying to “connect with God”.  When I realized that I was attempting to attain something that I already have, I found that I was much more rested, satisfied, and even at peace.  Through Jesus, we are already one with the Father!  Don’t be afraid to tell Him that you’d really like to have some peanut butter, but remember, while He isn't disinterested in our physical needs and emotional desires, His greater concern is our spiritual development.  In fact, Father often uses our wanting in order to fix our eyes upon Him and to help us to recognize those gifts which have eternal value.

When praying for a specific situation or person I find that, out of habit, my first thoughts often turn to my desires.  I am then reminded that prayer isn't about my requests.  Prayer is about recognizing and enjoying my oneness with Father.  Yes, He wants to hear my heart, but He also wants me to trust Him so completely that I’m willing to genuinely pray in all circumstances, Yet not my will, but yours be done (Luke 22:42).

Don’t know how to pray? Father has a gift for you - If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).

Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie

P.S.  Please feel free to contact me with questions, thoughts, topics you’d like to ponder or to read past articles at: http://whole-heartedlife.blogspot.com/.  You may also contact me at:
            Bonnie Jaeckle
            In Search of the Whole-Hearted Life
            Diagonal Progress
            505 Jefferson St.
            Diagonal, IA 50845