The Desires of the Heart [Part 2]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright, could you just suspend everything else. The shaman lies have taught you about what you and your father in heaven and realize you might just listen for just this moment and be sure you get this your father in heaven wants to give you what you want, but because it causes him joy to see his children. The last is an astounding that's Pastor Alan Wright welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life for a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt excited for you to hear today's message in the series called praying with power as presented at renewal the church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright ministry as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org that's Pastor Alan.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program but right now let's get started with today's teaching in the series praying with power here is Alan Wright. The very fact that we so need that kind of unconditional love is to me a proof that the unconditional love exists and isn't it true that even your best moments in life. I mean the happiest moments, and great great moments of life where everything is going wonderfully. I mean just whatever it might be. Imagine yourself in that moment. Is it true even in that moment, this still a sneaky suspicion underneath it. There's more than this. This is and all that there is no why because ultimately we yearning for heaven itself.

I believe that, just as surely as a baby's cry for milk is evidence that milk must exist. So it is that the deepest yearning of humanity's heart is the very evidence that we were created for God and Augustine was right, our hearts will for ever restless. Be until they rest, oh Lord with me so desire can be unreliable like just fantasy of wish fulfillment, but desire like hunger itself has been put within us by the creator, so here's here's a verse of the key for me. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. He's given me so many desires of my heart. Let's start with the basic piece of good news that took me at least two decades of ponder before I finally accepted that this is true because it almost doesn't sound like good theology, but I want your stay and I am so committed to write theology, biblical theology, but this I'm absolutely convinced the true God wants to give you what you want. He does. I base this on so many scriptures, not least of which, when Jesus himself says if you earthly fathers want to give good gifts to your children, how much more so is a perfect heavenly father want to give good gifts to his children. I base this also on just the only way that we can understand prayer is relationally because he says you try to understand prayer is some kind of formula or something that you're over into just religious stuff, but this is a relationship that we have like a child to a father and so I can understand some things because I'm privileged to be a father and one thing I know for sure it even though I must time a simple man even though I'm on my mind is still distorted and I lose my patience and so what I know I'll love to give my children what they want to give somebody what they actually want the trouble to give somebody a present because you care for them.

I'm not Tom but we are doing it is out of duty or compulsion or something like that. You're just you know trying to do protocol and no, but given a gift to some I could you let him you give them a gift.

Don't you want to give them what they want. You know you don't want to give them something then and find out they only like that you know they don't like that at all. I mean, what it is like the time that Christmas and we we thought we got a really nice little foosball account again for my nephew Christopher that I was about five or something like that and you know he's just a little boy and he opened it I said oh I hate these things and it I appreciated his honesty about it, but no I'd like to know what he wanted.

You know so that we got him some. He didn't hate, but you watch the parents in that situation know know you love it like the things I hate these things give them what they want to get what they want to know what this is.

The strange thing about it is a paradox, but it's almost like my generosity is in itself has self interest in it. I get it it's all tied together because why do I love to give my children what they want because it blesses me so much it causes me joy to see them have joy that's just it causes me joy to see my children being blessed in a way that they wanted to be blessed. It causes me to tears of joy to watch them come to the realization of a long dream or reach some goal that they have anticipated and work towards and it comes to fruition. That blesses me even more to see that come to pass it out.

I want to see the things that they want. I want to see it come to pass and I just plainly sounds like it just makes me happy. It just makes me happy. Could you just, could you just suspend everything else that shaman lies have taught you about what you and your father in heaven, nor your relationship might just listen for just this moment and be sure you get this. Your father in heaven wants to give you what you want because it causes him joy to see his children blessed.

It's an astounding thought in its true eyes got a real advantage over us and that we don't always know what the other one wants.

So we get them a gift card because it might be who I hate these things so and you don't even know you can love with your wife for 22 years and still not really know what she wants. Let's face it, no matter how great we get to know each other. We still have to go around think you like this.

Do you like this one. What you think of this because we don't fully know.

Here's an astounding thing. Not only does God want to give you what you want he knows what you hope that's so here though for a father is a dilemma I want to give my children what they want, but I can't give them everything they want because some of their wants are not mature enough or based in enough wisdom to be healthy for them so the parent can't give a child everything the child wants can't do it would be if it is just some things are just can't lunge the ice cream only ice cream and Doritos and pizza you just can't do that, you know, I mean use is you can't and you can't let your children stay up know all night long, every night means. Another thing my children are just like this is their main goal is always just keep existing up I mean is just this is one of the challenges of parenthood is just getting somebody to go to bed. I mean, just, you know it's time for bed but I can't envision a scenario in which it be like. Would you guys like stay up another 45 minutes and watch the show needs and popcorn. I'm not, you know, pack a little early like that I don't do that. They don't do that. So you know they have to say. Can I please stay up longer you have to say no go get in the bed, now you know as ever, now that you have to come in, you know might defeat her little bit like this.

I mean, anyway, it's just you can't get a dilemma for me because it causes me joy to give them what they want, and yet I can't always get what they want because they don't always want things that are good for them and so I got I got a dilemma about this so what do I do as a parent.

What I do is I shift my strategy and my strategy is not, let me say about how I can be the magic genie to give them all their wishes and I'm shift my strategy towards molding their heart and their character so that increasingly as they grow up.

The things that they want will be more healthy more noble more pure more godly more right because the more that they want that.

The more I will be free to give it to them tomorrow will be free to share with them is a so we shift our strategies.

Parents it was a, you know, my job is not just to give you the things that you want. My job is to help you walk the right things because my ultimate goal is I want to give you what you want.

It causes me joy. But if you don't want things that are in accord with what will be good and right.

Then I will not be able to share those things with you right will have more teaching moment from today's important series prayer as a Christian you know it's important and you want to make it a priority. If you're like most your prayer life can slip so easily into routine fervor in person meeting you're wondering what is the key to praying with real power in Ephesians chapter 6.

The apostle Paul has a clear answer, praying in the spirit spirit. Some would say that Paul is referring to spiritual gift and a supernatural prayer language Megan Allen writes unique series, praying with power Pastor Alan reveals five different ways of praying and spirit. Discover how praying God's word is praying and spirit.

Learn how to listen to the spirit as you pray, come to see Jesus as your prayer partner. It's practical. It's powerful to pastor Alan nights praying with power. Discover the power of praying in the spirit change your prayer life and you change the world to get to Alan Wright Ministries today will send you Pastor Alan's messages through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer were in the final days of this special offer being made available to you. We are happy to send this to you as I thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor. Our in.work. Today's teaching now continues here once again is Alan writing is not just to say that just because your flesh want something he's going to give that to you and is not really even to say that just because you have a thought about something that you want that. He promises that is going to give you that. I'm not saying he's not influenced by the thoughts and in the things you might just want like that because if it fits within something that'll bless you. You know maybe it originated just as I thought of yours missing. My mind is not totally renewed. I am a new creature in Christ.

My heart has been born anew. My life is born anew and as I'm alive spiritually under God and yet my mind is still being renewed and so I cannot sit here and pretend that I even rightly know all the things that I'm to ask God for because sometimes I'll ask for the wrong thing because my mind is not totally renewed but I believe that that my heart, my inmost being my my my my sense of of of deepest intention and longing.

I believe I've been renewed and I'm connected up with God.

And so what happens is that when you delight yourself in the Lord and you devote your heart unto his heart you're in love with God. You have an affection. You have a unity communion together and that God will minister his truth and revelation into your life is that he's always planned on it to be this way back from the time of Moses, even as he was given the law.

He was saying, the Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendents, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul and live his intention always was that we would have hearts that are open before him, and in communion with him, and out of that we would have a great love for him. Jeremiah prophesied in this is the covenant I'll make with the house of Israel at that time I'll put my law in their minds and I'll write it on their hearts. I'll give them understanding in their minds about the law but my plan is this God to transform this people by putting it down deep in their heart and their deepest inmost being and I'll be there God and they'll be my people, and when that happens. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother say no, the Lord, because all know me, you have intimate knowledge of God. At the heart level and this book comes in many ways like a compass that begins to point you in the direction of life. I'll praise the Lord who counsels me he does spiritual counsel and revelation to me so that even at night. My heart instructs me see if I'm if I'm in if I'm delighting in the Lord and my my life is so intimately connected with God's own heart.

Then my heart is receiving from God things that have to do with destiny and purpose, and in the longings and yearnings and intentions that are there become a reliable compass that is teaching me about what I'm to do with my life about where I'm to go and how I'm to pray what God wants to do is to so deposit his own revelation and life and love in your own heart, that your heart beats so after God out of that communion that there is born inside of you hunger and that hunger is on an un-unsatisfied until it is Matt it is reality.

So is surely as a baby cries for milk the that is never been tasted. So it is that God put something down inside of you and it is there for you to live for to praying for to petition for to intercede for and when you know that it's real booklet is now in you minutes of calling this with you. Now you're hooked up to the deepest passion of your life. When I talk about a genie in a bottle when I taught my desire to look like what time at the Lord give you the desires of your heart. What do you really want when you get in touch with that then your heart says CQ your face, Lord, I will seek that's were awesome. Prayer life begins. You hooked up with what you want and the reason you wanted so much is applicable to something of your sinful flesh or distorted thinking it's something of the heart you what happened when you get that in you, you won't give up. You won't give up because you know I'm you know that hunger is real.

It's there. I've got to keep asking. I got a keepsake. I gotta keep knocking because it's going to be happening and and the amazing thing is that God has said, into this drama that's unfolding of my kingdom advancing on earth in your prayers you're asking your seeking your knocking is a vital part of this coming to pass because I have included you to be co-laborers with me for my cause on the face of the earth. And so now our whole life of petition and intercession is all hearts cry unto God and man does God delight in giving you what you want when you pray that way because you're so deeply connected to what he's always wanted anyway what you want to show me things I want some of her secret screen man. God so mom to get vocal about you to say up gift.

You don't know why these things get down and there do you know hiking trails like last night it Virg annually spent 20 months cultivating it wouldn't have in those meetings were not that many people you know they are and will coordinate an end just started happening unless I went hundred 10 people at room I love those 25 years. I just want I love my dogs love I just I just wanted I just you know I felt like the church. Church not arbitrators tend to give up on the hardest group of people to reach in the nation as a single person in their 20s.

Hardest person in America to reach and and and and but I didn't plan it. What happens with that God comes put. Down your heart like that is to know what is his startled love historical compassion starts with the with a burden is is is something that's there and then you just you know what if that's is there anything I might think and you know you find yourself saying you start saying things like, oh God, give us his generation for Christ ago.

God give us this generation in the city. Oh God, let us just let let us have but is have favor with people in this generation. B father that we can have an avenue an opportunity someplace we could be able to reach and communicate with him about God.

Would you do all got you have that and then use it as there's a stick to it deafness that goes with it to because you're hooked in with something you know a guy just comes and he puts that kind of stuff down your heart and you it doesn't it doesn't really originate with you, necessarily, but then it is you.

So what is your desire and you just bring to God. Now it is bringing to an end. Seek in the body of Christ for the purposes of prayer.

He doesn't give me all of the burdens he didn't give me all of the desires he doesn't get all that I couldn't bear it. I couldn't.

I couldn't bear so he's got to give another part of the bridges that I have a passion and this will never see this is so the plan is that all God's people praying for at all times in the spirit people with a spiritual prayer life in the body of Christ.

I just go with the little laundry list of fleshly desires about. We got the whole body of Christ with God like you, praying the things that are desires of your heart to praying the things are desires your heart. Sticking with it. Ask and seek in the whole body of Christ, we would see him God wouldn't wait awesome absolutes desires of my heart desires.

I got desires for for my family. I got desires from the children I got I got a desire for healing of shame to the nations. These are a desire that the eyes of your heart be enlightened and you know how long, how wide, how high, how deep is the love of God I desire wisdom for leadership.

I yearn know the desires of my heart.

Oh revelation from God. From his word.

These are some of my deepest desires and some of the deepest things are just too sacred to secret. In my inmost being right into things and bring the desires prayer as a Christian you know it's important and you want to make it a priority. If you're like most your prayer life can slip so easily into routine fervor and passion need your wondering what is the key to praying with willpower in Ephesians chapter 6. The apostle Paul has a clear answer, praying in the spirit pray in the spirit. Some would say that Paul is referring to the spiritual gift and the supernatural prayer language Megan Allen writes unique series, praying with power Pastor Alan reveals five different ways of praying and spirit.

Discover how praying God's word is praying in spirit.

Learn how to listen to the spirit as you pray, come to see Jesus as your prayer partner.

It's practical. It's powerful to pastor our nights praying with power. Discover the power of praying in the spirit change your prayer life and you change the world you make your get to Allen Wright ministries today will send you pastor outlines messages through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer were in the final days of this special offer being made available to you.

We are happy to send this to you as I thanks from Allen Wright ministries call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4860 or come to our website pastor. Our in.work. Ultimately, this is what God wants that our heart would be aligned with this right and so when you a line that starts happening, there's power in prayer. We delight ourselves in the Lord. In other words, more that my entire being is delighted in who God is and he is absolutely the best to me every way.

And there's a process that happens by the spirit in which my own desires begin to conform to God's desires.

Then when we pray, is the desires that are spiritual their heart level and God-given. Those desires dinner. Pray back to God.

And that's where prayer becomes exceedingly powerful.

Today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen Wright ministries