I know, the title is a little funky but we like to have fun over here.
I want to give a S/O to Priscilla Shirer because she said something that has played over and over in my mind for days. It was powerful and practical.
She was speaking on the Candace Cameron Bure podcast and the topic was “Will God Really Give You the Desires of Your Heart?”
That question was posed to Priscilla and like always, with so much grace and thoughtfulness, she painted her answer around her experience with pregnancy cravings. I’ll do my best to summarize her thoughts in these next two paragraphs.
Most pregnant women develop cravings. These cravings are usually things they have never eaten before pregnancy, didn’t like at one point and now they do or maybe things they have eaten before but just not together at once. For example, pickles and chocolate being eaten together. These cravings are a symptom of pregnancy, the life growing inside of you. You don’t learn to like or adopt these cravings, it’s an automatic response to the life growing inside you. All you have to do is focus on your pregnancy.
It’s very much the same with God. If we prioritize and grow the new life we have in Him (pregnancy) then He will help us with our behavior modification (cravings). As we love Him, as we study Him, as we spend time and connect and abide in Him, we begin to change as a response to Him living within us and us in Him. By ourselves, behavior modification can be unsuccessful, temporary and outright hard. The Spirit of God is transformational.
Isn’t that a powerful perspective!
When Priscilla described that, I also thought of pregnancy cravings as the fruit of our lives. The new and good habits we develop with our walk with God.
So, how does all that answer the question of “Will God Really Give You the Desires of Your Heart?” With what Priscilla said in mind and referencing scripture, the answer is yes He will, but there is a condition. Priscilla said to focus on the life you are growing and the cravings will be an automatic response, that’s to say put God as your number one priority and the response to your worship, obedience and alignment will be your desires fulfilled.
Look at Psalm 37:4
“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Before the giving, there is a command. You have to delight in the Lord first.
Look at Matthew 6:33
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Again, a command before the giving. To seek is to prioritize God’s kingdom agenda.
Our desires are our passions. As believers, our passions come from God. How do we know this? According to Galatians 5:24, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” So if we no longer have fleshly passions, then we must have passions of the Spirit! Would God not care or want to fulfill passions that bring Him glory and honor?
Ezekiel 36:26 is further confirmation of this truth. It says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Meaning your new heart will be filled with new purposes, desires and affections for Him and that point to Him. It’s also important not to miss that this is a scripture of invitation too, to be spiritual renewed, to embrace this miracle of grace and take hold of the life God has to offer.
God we thank you for this deeper understanding and revelation of your will and your word. I pray that we will understand the true meaning of passions more and more as we search for You. Help your children to discern passions of the flesh versus passions of the Spirit because some feel like you have failed them because they are pursuing a passion not of you. Thank you for being our teacher and so much more. In all that we do in this year, let us plan around You instead of us asking You to bless our plans. Keep speaking, keep teaching, keep loving and keep revealing to each of us. Amen!
See you next week!
Things Above 
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