Needs and Desires

"I really, really want this. . . ."

Have you ever said that? And believed that somehow because your heart is so engaged, so earnest, you deserve whatever you want?

If a child asks for candy before supper or asks to stay up way past his bedtime, we as parents determine if answering this request will be good for them or not - and we don't base our decision (or shouldn't) on how much they really, really want something.

Shouldn't we trust our heavenly Father to make wise and loving decisions for us when we ask him for something we really, really want?

"But I NEED this!" Oh, I have been there.

I have pondered on this for a while . . . Is there a difference between a need and a desire? Are all desires the same? Can I desire a good thing for a wrong reason? Can desiring a good thing become a bad thing? Is it wrong to feel sorrow when I do not get what I want?

Here is how I ended up praying:

"Help me to distinguish between needs (that you have promised to supply) and desires (that could come either from a God-given pleasure or a devilish value of this world).

Give me faith to believe you will supply all my needs.

Help me trust you to give me only those desires that you know are right for me.

Sanctify my thinking. Purify my heart. Correct my desires.

Alert me when righteous desires are poisoned by selfishness and pride and become unrighteous demands.

Let me know when my tears are self-centered, foolish or rooted in unbelief.

Cause my love for you and desire for your world-wide and eternal glory to expand and weave itself into and over all my lesser desires so that all my delight is delight in your goodness, and all sorrow is sorrow in the world gone wrong."