Question:  Why do some people seem to get exactly what they desire while I rarely seem to get what I really want in life?

Answer: As the saying goes, “the grass always looks greener on the other side.”  It may be true that some people you know are very successful in achieving their dreams while others continue to struggle through life to get to their goals.  However, the bottom line is, are you living your life to please God?  Have you made life choices that have been in agreement with how the Bible says we should live?  If you can answer “yes” to these questions, then in prayer, you should be seeking guidance from the Lord when deciding on and pursuing your goals.   Remember Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (NKJV)

The truth is that many Christians want to just make their “wish list,” then later pray for the Lord to make their dreams a reality.  They never even consider that what they want may not be in God’s plan for their lives.  They may even get mad at God and blame God for not fulfilling their desires.  For example, I’ve known of some women who have wanted to get married so badly -mainly because they saw their friends getting married or they wanted to experience the big wedding with all the trimmings- that they married men who were not God’s choice for them.  In fact, they married these men even when they knew the men didn’t believe in God.  Since we know marriage can be challenging even when you do marry a fellow believer, it will certainly be more difficult when you have opposite beliefs in the role of Jesus in your lives.   They should have waited on the Lord to guide them to God’s choice for their mate.

While the Bible clearly tells us that God hears and answers our prayers, we must recognize that His answer for what we desire may be “yes,” it may be “no,” or it may be “not right now.”  We must accept that He knows what is best for us.  So, drop the “I just want what I want , and I want it now!” attitude, and learn to be guided by God.

Helpful Links:

Focus on the family   http://www.focusonthefamily.com

Crown Financial Ministries   http://www.crown.org

The Christian Broadcasting Network   http://www.cbn.com

World Magazine   www.worldmag.com