The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.
He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them. (Amplified Bible)
Yesterday we saw that idolatry involves giving something or someone priority over the Lord–and it leads to missing His best. Scripture also warns about other obstacles to receiving God’s blessings.
As followers of Jesus, we are to pray to our heavenly Father when we desire or need something (Phil. 4:6). Sadly, many of God’s children fail to do so. Some are “too busy” to bring their requests to the Lord. Others talk to the Lord in a general or mechanical way, without the genuine, heartfelt communication He desires.
Christians should come humbly before His throne, bringing requests with a submissive spirit (1 Peter 5:5-6). In other words, we are to yearn for God’s will above all else–even above what we think is best. It is important to acknowledge that He may have something better in mind. Then, as we faithfully pray, God may remove or alter certain longings so that our desires begin to align with His.
Furthermore, the Bible tells us to approach God with confidence and faith (Heb. 4:16; James 1:6). This means that when we pray and seek the Father’s will, we should anticipate that He will answer. As Isaiah 64:4 reminds us, God “acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.”
Our Father desires to pour blessing into the lives of His children. Don’t allow prayerlessness to prevent His best. Express your needs and wants to God confidently and specifically. Then submit your will to His, and wait expectantly. He is faithful–you will see! R1
R1 Taken from In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley/ Crosswalk
