Discerning Desires!

July 14, 2026

“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in him.” Psalm 37:39-40

Discerning Desires!

I still find it sometimes difficult to express the desires of my heart. And yet, because of what David shares in Psalm 37:4 (“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”), I remain committed to continuing the journey of discernment. I often pray for the Lord to help me see more clearly the dreams of the Lord God for me and where those dreams do or do not align with the desires of my heart.

It’s not always easy to discern the desires of my hear. I remember writing the following prayer several years ago.

“I know, Jesus, you are fully aware of my sadness, my lack of fulfillment, my feelings of being alone and isolated. I know you know. And, there is comfort in knowing you are aware and do care about how I am doing. You have seen my tears, you have heard my cries for help and deliverance, you have observed my suffering. I am grateful. I long for the day you set me free to enjoy a new people, a new place, a new abundance.”

During that time of struggle, it was not easy to discern the desires of my heart. Instead, I would often get distracted by some difficult circumstance or difficult person. Slowly I learned even when discerning the desires of my heart as well as the dreams the Lord God has for me is difficult, there is still a deep yearning in my soul to be so close to the Lord God that my heart desires and the Lord’s dreams align with one another.

That place of alignment of God’s dreams and my desires is like a refuge. In Psalm 37:39 David writes; “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble.”

That refuge is a place where I am safe and strong. That refuge is a place where I am bold and courageous. That refuge is a place where I find help and healing. That refuge is a place where I find hope restored and a new future possible.

That refuge is also a place where the desires of my heart are aligned with the dreams of the Lord God for my life. My soul has an unquenchable thirst for the Lord God as my place of refuge. In another song, David describes the deep yearning of our heart to be nearer and nearer to the Lord God.

In Psalm 63:1-3, 7 David writes; “O God, you are my God; I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.…for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.”

When I take refuge in Jesus, my deepest soul thirsts are quenched and the deepest hungers of my life are satisfied. This refuge is not just about the Lord God’s protection and presence, it is also about the Lord God’s provision and power and promise.

When I take refuge in the Lord God, I can see God’s glory and power. I can experience God’s amazing love and tender mercies. I can be restored, refreshed, and recreated in God’s presence. The longer I spend in this place of refuge, the more the Lord God’s dream for me and the desires of my heart begin to look the same.

Discerning the desires of my heart is not always easy. However, investing time and prayer in this endeavor will often yield great blessings. I am reminded of Psalm 23 in which David speaks about how the Lord God restores our soul and leads us in the life the Lord has chosen for us.

In Psalm 23:1-3 David writes; “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.”

The Lord God restores my soul and the Lord God leads me in the direction He wants me to go. The desire of my heart becomes to trust and obey the direction the Lord God wants me to travel in life. The desire of my heart is to have the assurance the Lord God will restore what is broken or unhealthy or unholy in my soul. The desire of my heart is to spend eternity with the Lord now and to worship Him today.

Reflect

Describe what it would it look like if you took a half day to carefully and prayerfully discern the deepest desires of your heart. Where do you think there would be alignment with the dream the Lord has for your life? Where do you think there would be some distance between your heart desires and the Lord’s dream for you? Describe some ways you could close any gap you begin to see.

Pray

Lord God, I confess that sometimes it is difficult to be honest about the desires of my heart. I want to be a good Christian who is living a life of holiness. Instead, I am aware a few of my heart desires are not so God-honoring, not so holy, not so focused on you. Forgive me, Lord God, when the desires of my heart do not align well with your dream for my life. Help me to live and love and serve more like Jesus. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Act

Try to write down the desires of your heart. Be as honest as you can be. Now in a second column, write down God’s dream for you and your life. Be as specific as you can be. Draw lines connecting where the two columns line up. What can you do about the things that do not line up very well? Is there a good friend with whom you can share your list?