## Will God Give Us What We Want?

## Psalm 37:1-5

Today we have churches and T.V. preachers telling us that if we want something from God, all we have to do is "name it and claim it". Speak the word and it will be so. Now if that is true, and I don't believe that it is, why is there any sickness, poverty, or heartache in the world today? Why don't these folks "speak the word" and have God fix everything?

Read: Psalm 37:1-5

Tonight, I want to consider the thought "will God give us what we want?"

I. As We Delight Ourselves In the LORD.

A. Delight has reference to our Finances.

(JOB 22:25-27) "YEA, THE ALMIGHTY SHALL BE THY DEFENCE, AND THOU SHALT HAVE PLENTY OF SILVER. {26} FOR THEN SHALT THOU HAVE THY DELIGHT IN THE ALMIGHTY, AND SHALT LIFT UP THY FACE UNTO GOD. {27} THOU SHALT MAKE THY PRAYER UNTO HIM, AND HE SHALL HEAR THEE, AND THOU SHALT PAY THY VOWS."

1. Money is a tool that God gives us to use to honor Him.

2. That is why we are not to horde it!

3. God calls upon us to give it to meet the needs of others.

4. Everything that we have today, we have because God has given it to us.

5. We should delight ourselves in the Lord in the area of finances.

B. Delight has reference to our Prayer Life.

(JOB 27:10) "WILL HE DELIGHT HIMSELF IN THE ALMIGHTY? WILL HE ALWAYS CALL UPON GOD?"

1. Prayer is more than an emergency exit.

2. Consider Wal-Mart or any other business, they have doors and they have emergency exits.

3. The front doors are 24 hour entrances; they are used all the time.

4. That is what prayer should be in our lives. (1 TH 5:17) "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING."

C. Delight has reference to our Humility.

(PSA 37:11) "BUT THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH; AND SHALL DELIGHT THEMSELVES IN THE ABUNDANCE OF PEACE."

1. We have spoken before of the need to break down our own selfish pride.

2. Pride says, "Me first!"

3. Humility says, "Others."

D. Delight has reference to the Lord's Day. (ISA 58:13-14)

1. God has set aside one day a week for us to worship Him.

2. Many focus on the 'day of rest' without a consideration of the worship of God Almighty.

3. We are not to spend this day 'doing our pleasure' or doing what we please.

4. We are to honor and worship God for all He has done and for all that He is.

E. Delight has reference to our Commitment.

(PSA 37:5A) "COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD..."

1. That is something that missing in 20th century Christians.

2. No one wants to commit to anything any more.

3. Our society has fostered this idea to the point of ridiculousness.

4. We do not want to commit to our jobs (or to our employees), we do not want to commit to one another, we do not want to commit to the local church, and we do not want to commit to God.

WILL GOD GIVE US WHAT WE WANT? Yes as We Delight Ourselves in the LORD.

II. When We Receive Our Desires from the LORD. v 4 b - 5 a

A. Often We Need to Get Our "Want Too" Changed.

1. The desires of our heart will not be the same as the desires of our flesh.

2. James told us that one reason we do not get our prayers answered is because we ask for the wrong things.

(JAMES 4:3) "YE ASK, AND RECEIVE NOT, BECAUSE YE ASK AMISS, THAT YE MAY CONSUME IT UPON YOUR LUSTS."

B. If we will delight ourselves in the Lord, then our desires will be changed.

1. God will change our direction and our desires as we delight ourselves in Him.

2. We delight ourselves in Him when with our attitudes and obedience in the areas of our:

- Finances
- Prayer Life
- Humility
- Local Church
- Commitment

No there is no secret formula for getting what we want from God. The 'name it and claim it' crowd is not Biblical. But God will give us the desires of our hearts when we delight ourselves in Him.