A Prayer about Good Desires and Longings

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Gracious and Generous Father,

Thank you for the desires you have placed in our hearts. 

Our longings for children, 

longings for a loving spouse, 

longings for close friends, 

longings for peace in our families, 

longings for rest from work,

longings for a safe place to live,

longings for physical healing,

are all good. 

They can all be traced back to the shalom

with which you created the world. 

According to Nicholas Wolterstorff, 

“To dwell in shalom is to enjoy living before God, 

to enjoy living in one’s physical surroundings, 

to enjoy living with one’s fellows, 

to enjoy life with oneself.”*

Lord, thank you for creating us 

for enjoyment of you 

and enjoyment of the good gifts 

you so generously give us. 

Thank you for transforming our desires 

as we continue to delight ourselves in you. 

When our hearts hurt because you have not chosen 

to fulfill good desires, 

draw us near to you and give us the comfort 

only you can give. 

Remind us that one day, 

Jesus will return, 

and we will eternally enjoy the shalom 

that fulfills our deepest longings. 

In Jesus’ desirable name. Amen.

Read  Psalm 37.

*From Nicholas Wolterstorff’s Till Justice and Peace Embrace.

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Lord, 

We believe; help our unbelief.

We believe you have already come into our midst 

in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

We believe you are a mighty one 

who has already saved us from our sins 

through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But in the next line of this magnificent verse, 

we stutter and stumble. 

We think that maybe you will rejoice in us 

some day in the future 

when we are more holy, 

that you will love us 

some day in the future 

when we never sin again,

that you will exult in us with loud singing 

some day in the future 

when we’ve finally earned our way to heaven.

But that’s not what Scripture tells us.

The gospel good news 

for all who trust in Jesus

is that right this minute, 

you are rejoicing over us, 

right this minute

you are quieting us with your love, 

right this minute

and you are exulting over us with loud singing. 

You saved us. 

You love us. 

You delight in us. 

You sing extra-loud over us, 

like the five-year-old who loves to sing 

at the top of his lungs 

because he’s so happy. 

Help us today to sit quietly 

and listen for the sound 

of your delight in us, 

and may that delight 

change the way we live and love 

today and every day. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.

Read Zephaniah 3:14-20.