How to Succeed
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests....Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
- Psalm 20:4, 5, 7
What would you think if a friend came to you and said his 6-year-old son was demanding to be able to drive as well as own a car? We would all laugh (most likely) and say that’s ridiculous. We would agree that a child doesn’t usually understand his limitations.
How about us? When the Word of God tells us God will give us the desires of our hearts and make all our plans succeed – what does that mean? I’ve struggled to find the answer to this often over the past 10 years especially. How to pray when going through difficult seasons of life? Well, here are some thoughts I’ve discovered that have given me encouragement.
First, it’s important to realize we are God’s children. We need to trust (as Psalm 20:7 suggests) that our Heavenly Father knows best. This is most vital when we don’t get the answers we desire or think we need.
Second, as we pray and make requests, they must be made in God’s will and way.
Third, how do we know God’s will and way? Only by his Word. We need to spend time alone with God often.
Have you noticed how the Old Testament Prophets almost all begin by saying, “And the Word of the Lord came to…..” Those prophets could not have spoken the truth of God without first hearing it clearly. Spending time alone with God. Another favorite example of mine utilizing God’s Word to lead and know God’s will is Matthew 4:1-11. This is when the devil tempted Jesus just before Jesus began his ministry. How does Jesus apply God the Father’s Word to conquer the devil? He never gives into the world’s answer of obtaining the desires of the heart and having all worldly plans succeed. The devil loves to tempt us with lies that will never truly bring satisfaction or joy. Jesus knew what really works. He knew who and what fulfills our heart’s desire and gives us the power of success. Each answer Jesus gave he quoted scripture. This is described in Ephesians 6:17 as our sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. On our journey with God my prayer is that we are fully armed with the Word, so our desires and plans are fulfilled in meaningful, godly ways.
Paul gave a wonderful reminder of this as well in I Corinthians 2:1-10. He points out how he didn’t come preaching or proclaiming the testimony about God with human wisdom. Instead, he came in weakness, with great fear and trembling. I personally appreciate Paul’s words here as I give testimony. I know I don’t come with wise or persuasive words. Paul went on to say he wanted his message to be a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that their faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on the power of God.
My prayer today is may God’s power, alone, shine through leading us all in our walk of faith to follow His perfect will and way. Amen.