Delight in the Lord
March 16, 2026
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires [petitions, prayer requests] of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
Dear Praying Friends:
We all know this verse, but sometimes we apply it in a way that David did not intend. We all have requests [petitions] of different sorts and some of these reflect desires that have been planted in us by God and reflect his character and goodness.
But (1) these prayers must be humble requests, not demands. We have no right to insist that God give us what we want, and (2) The condition of answered prayer is that we “delight in the LORD.”
From other passages, we know that our chief delight and source of enjoyment must be in God, and especially his Word (Psalm 1:2). Before, during, and after we ask anything from God, we must spend time in the Scriptures, finding joy and pleasure in them more than anything else, including television programs, films, social media, other people, food, drink, and sex. These may all be good, but our chief source of recreation and happiness must be God and his revelation in the Bible.
Only God can truly satisfy us, and only as we have immersed ourselves in the Word of God will we know how to pray in a way that pleases God and expresses his will. And only then will we want, and request, first and foremost, to know him, to love him, to serve him, and to obey him. As we delight ourselves in him, we will find contentment in whatever he chooses to give us. Thus, the deepest desires of our heart will be satisfied.
Thank you for praying last week and previously. I have almost completed the story on Dr. Susie Rijnhart, though it has taken much longer than I had expected. I have found a way to lead the Chinese Sunday school class that satisfies the main objection that the chairman had expressed, and people seem to find the discussions helpful. God also gave me a half a dozen significant conversations.
Yours in the love of our delightful God,
Wright