God knows what we need

Psalm 20:4 is a prayer of blessing; "May he (God) grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!" (ESV.) This blessing prayer is from one to another, hoping they will experience a better tomorrow. I've thought a lot about this verse and how it affects me as a husband, a father and a friend. I want to encourage you with some reflections on this psalm.

By praying this psalm for my loved ones, I wonder what their deepest desires are. This prayer has nudged me to pay closer attention to their interests and aspirations. It has urged me to listen more attentively to their heart's whispers, to understand what they yearn for in life. This prayer is a gentle reminder to place others' needs above our own.

I want the best tomorrow for my family and friends. But this Psalm is a prayer not a promise. The blessing prayer then encourages us to seek God is the giver. He is the one who grants the hearts desires expressing not only favor but dependency Everything we have, all we desire, comes from the Lord. We then should seek the heart of the one who knows the depths of our hearts.

Perhaps you wonder, "If God knows what I need and will do what he wants, why bother to pray?" But have you ever thought that your needs are more than needs? Your prayers are not merely listing off to God what he already knows. Instead, praying about your needs is the avenue by which you come to know the one who satisfies your needs. The granter of your heart's desires.

The blessing prayer may cause you to pause and wonder what your heart's desires are. What is it that you long for? What will satisfy your soul? Vacations come and go. Money goes faster than it comes. What you were desperate for at sixteen isn't worth walking across the room for now.

God knows the depths of our hearts more than we. He knows our greatest need is beyond what shines in this world. The trinkets are nice, but eternity is the treasure.

I am writing Psalm 20:4 on my graduate cards this May. I want the best future for my family and friends. I know the best future comes from the Lord in all he gives. I want that for them. I pray they share that desire.

Robert Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more of him at robhurtgen.wordpress.com.