Desire

There is this longing in us from birth that drives our decisions and actions. When we think of the word desire, many think of this word as something bad, that we desire things we shouldn’t.  The truth is that these desires that we have can be good, or some can take us to places we never wanted to be. So, to desire is not necessarily a bad thing.

As followers of Jesus, we too should have desires. We should always desire to be more like Christ and to see our loved ones and friends come to Jesus for salvation. We should desire to do what pleases the Lord. But we can also desire blessings from the Lord.  In I Chronicles 4:10, we read this text, “Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.” In the previous verse, we read that Jabez was an honorable man. Then we read this prayer. This should tell us that if Jabez can utter such a prayer and still be known as honorable, and that God granted his request, we can know that it is not a bad thing to desire blessing from the only One who can grant that desire.

Jabez desired the same things we desire; he wanted to be blessed financially. We see this in his desire to have his land extended and made larger. He desired for the Lord to be with him, to lead and guide him. Jabez also desired that the Lord protect him and keep him from those things that would bring him pain. Many followers of Christ have a hard time praying for themselves, for blessings. I, at times, fall into that same category. Yet we see in this text that God granted what Jabez desired. This should make us realize that our Lord loves us and is willing to grant us blessings.

Now, saying that, we should also understand that this is not a promise. This is not a formula for getting rich or everything that we want. This is a blessing that the Lord decides upon because He knows what is best for us.

I challenge everyone to seek the Lord with an open heart about needs and desires. We can do this because our God loves and cares for us, and yes, He is interested in every aspect of our lives. So, pray, pray for the desires of your heart, and pray that your desire aligns with the desires of the Lord.