"You have given him his heart's desire,
and have not withheld the request of his lips."
Psalm 21:2
A twelve year old boy said to his dad, "I wish that I knew how to pray, but I don't know the words to use." His dad replied, "Son, prayer is not as much about words as it is your heart. Prayer is simply sharing your heart's desires with God." His dad made an important point. It's a lesson that all of us need to be taught. Prayer is a heart-to-heart conversation with God. We express to God what is really on our hearts in our own words. We make requests to God from the desires of our hearts.
If our desires are good, according to God's will, then He grants our requests. The psalmist wrote about how God had granted the requests from the king's lips. God's purpose for our lives is always good. For that reason, the Lord always grants what is good for us, as well as what good we could do for others. If He does not grant our requests, it's because He has a greater good for us, or it's not a good time yet to agree to the request. God has a purpose to work all things together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
A child may request something from a parent. If the parent knows that the request would not be good for the child, the request may not be approved. The child may not understand. Perhaps, the child could pout and be angry with the parent. Or, the child may even say to a good parent, "You don't really love me." Sometime, we do the same thing with our Father in heaven. We may not understand when He doesn't grant a request. During such a time, we may trust that God has something better for us. We need not deny His love nor question His goodness. Share your heart's desire with God in prayer.
Father, grant our requests from the desires of our hearts. If those desires are not good, change our hearts through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
