Not Just What You Say

I am convinced that one of the major reasons why so many of us fail to receive from God the things which we ought to be receiving lies in the fact that our hearts and our minds are not properly correlated.

Do you find yourself continually praying for things you never receive? I don’t mean things about which there may be some doubt, but things you definitely know the Almighty longs to give you—love, joy, peace, wisdom, patience, and so on. Maybe your mind is asking for one thing and your heart another. You see, it is possible to want something with the mind which is not supported by the heart. The mind is a much easier part of the personality to deal with than the heart, but, as our text for today states: “Guard your heart … for it is the source of life.”

We can approach God with our minds and think that because we have a clear idea of what we want, God will give it to us, but the heart may contain hidden doubts which prevent us from being fully integrated people. We fail to receive because we are not asking out of a fully integrated personality. As someone has put it: “God does not just answer prayer—He answers you.” Those who wish to receive from God the things He delights to give ought always to remember that who we are is just as important (if not more so) than what we ask. God is not just listening to our words; He is listening to us.

Further Study

Mt 15:1-20; Pr 3:5; 23:7; Lk 8:45

What did Isaiah prophesy?

How did Jesus respond to Peter’s request?