04/01/2024
Passion, desire, and prayer are the topics of our devotional study this morning. In my morning reading E.M. Bounds wrote that he found them to be interrelated to one another, and he called prayer "the verbal expression of desire." He went on to say that "Without desire, prayer is a meaningless mumble of words."
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
James 5:16 KJV
Desire is an interesting word that means to long, or wish for something. This is different from a "want" in both its intensity and degree. Wanting is a milquetoast version of desire. A couple of days ago I wrote about passion and the lack of it. Today I propose that desire and passion hold hands... they are both intense lovers of something. Interestingly, both desire and passion can be directed towards either good or evil. Hitler was passionate about what he sought, and how much he desired power. The very nature of his passion and desire was evil, and if not careful, all men can find themselves falling into this trap of wandering towards sinfulness, unless they place God at the center of their passion and allow Him to direct their desires. Our scripture verse today tells us as much. The key directional word in our scripture passage (as it relates to the application of passion and desire) is righteous. Our thoughts, desires, and passions should be directed by The Word of God and thus our righteousness. If we adhere to God's Word and His will, our prayers will follow. We will pray passionate prayers, describing with our words the godly desires of our hearts.
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 KJV
We can control our desires and passions. Scripture tells us how to accomplish this. This is one passage (Philippians 4:8-9) that I find most useful in doing this. So by controlling our thoughts we can not only control our actions but the very passions and desires which they are founded on.
Let's begin our day by concentrating on the Word of God and the things detailed for us in Philippians 4:8-9. Let's add a burning desire and passion for God to our lives and an intense desire to follow Jesus. Then let's begin this by praying a fervent righteous prayer containing our deepest desires as they are bounded by God's will. Let’s lift up a prayer that contains all of the passion that we can muster. Can we do this?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for placing a spark of passion in us and calling it the seed of faith. Thank you Lord for encasing our desires in righteousness, and directing us in them as we pray for your will to be done. Help us Father to pray with a deep conviction, and never for shallow wishes, beliefs, or with a fleeting faith in you. Guide us away from lukewarm wants as we come before you Abba, so that in this way our prayers will be deep, righteous, and holy desires, that will be passionate, and full of intense dedication and love for you as we lift them up. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who is worthy of our most intense faith, belief, and desire. Merciful are you who guides us in our wants and desires so that they will please you, and represent your will and plan for us. In our prayers find a longing that extends further, deeper, and more intensely into us than simple wants and wishes. Hear our heartbreak, our longing, the groaning of our souls, and feel the intensity of our love for you and Jesus Christ. We desire to be in your presence always, and long passionately for the day when Jesus will return to lift us up before you. On that day we pray that you will hear the intense passion in our voices as we worship you with all our hearts and desire, and pray with Jesus that you will reward us with eternity in you. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, all Praise and glory be to our God and Father forevermore!
Amen
Rich Forbes