“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4 (AMP)
“Oh Lord, you have said in Your word that you will grant the desires and secret petitions of my heart and in light of this, you have to answer me speedily. Brother Titus is the one I desire to marry. He has every good thing I desire in a man”, Sarah prayed in her closet on Tuesday morning. Prior to this day, two brothers have been disturbing her and seeking for her hand in marital relationship. Brother Celestine and Brother Titus are both members of the church where Sarah worships and they’ve taken a liking to her because she is a fervent worker in church.
The two brothers are actually good but Brother Celestine was one who had the understanding of the kind of life a Christian should live and also understood the purpose and plan of God, so he lived in alignment with this and this was the kind of man God had prepared for Sarah. Brother Titus on the other hand believed that being a Christian doesn’t stop him from engaging in many worldly practices that do not align with the will of God. Sarah saw Brother Celestine as being too spiritual for her taste while Brother Titus was a blend of wordliness and churchiness she wanted.
Well, like it is known, God doesn’t force His will on His children but He gives them insight into His will and purpose for them, and the choice ultimately lies with us. This was what happened to Sarah. Instead of accepting Brother Celestine proposal, she turned it down and thought to pray Brother Titus into God’s will for her. Eventually, they got married and things started well but five years down the line, Sarah had lost all passion and zeal for God and she was no more than an ordinary church goer without a life of conviction. Brother Titus had stopped going to church altogether.
This marriage thwarted the purposes and plans of God for Sarah and she lived a life of regret. Brother Celestine continued to wax strong in the Lord and his family became one that live the Lord passionately. Sarah chose to use the Scripture to justify her selfishness, insensitivity to the Lord and unwillingness to accept God’s will for her just because it didn’t look like what she wanted.
There are times that you have lived a life like Sarah and you quote Scriptures to support your disobedience and unwillingness to accept God’s will for you. The devil tried to deceive you by saying, ‘if it was not God’s will, it wouldn’t have come to pass.’ Many prayers have seemingly been answered even though they were not God’s will. There are things that answer to the natural order of things and either they are God’s express will or not, the influence of a man’s decision can change the outcome.
You must be aligned with God in thought, purpose and action for you to pray with this kind of Scripture. You must allow your heart to be sensitive and malleable to bend to God’s will. What should be your desire is to understand God’s will for you and that is when you can pray aright. Let God’s desire for you become what you also desire. This is a safe way to pray and receive results that are actually God-intended.
Reflections: Reminisce on the times that you’ve had your way instead of allowing the Lord have His way in your life, what were the outcomes? And would you choose that path again?
Confession: I am the beloved of the Lord and I have my heart cleansed and purified to align with God’s will for me. My life will be lived to fulfill the purpose of God.
Related Scripture: Psalms 37
Bible Reading: Genesis 34
