O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. – Psalm 21:1-2

Victorious living means living like a king, having the attitude of an heir, and being expectant of all the good things God has in store for you. How well are you managing your heart’s desires? Are you struggling to get by, burdened with a scarcity mentality? Are you measuring yourself by what you lack, desperately trying to fill a void? God has more for you than this (2 Chronicles 25:9).

He wants to grant you the desire of your heart and the request of your lips – yet without spoiling you.

Understanding desires

There is an amazing amount of baggage that comes along with the idea of wishing, dreaming, imagining and wanting things; so let’s approach the subject carefully. My hypothesis is that there is real value for us when we explore the desires of our heart. It helps us understand our identity, passions and motivations. God desires relationship with us and is the giver of every good and perfect gift. He can allow us to explore these desires while protecting us from being drawn away from Him. We must be certain not to transfer our affection from Him to anything else, for that is idolatry.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. – John 15:16

Who are you, a prince or a pauper? More importantly, who does God want you to be? Certainly a child of the King! He chose you and appointed you to bear fruit. He will give you whatever you ask so that you will be able to bear fruit that will last. So dare to imagine what you need and be ready to make your request.

Desires come from your thoughts, which are developed ideas. However, a desire is something you want but that cannot be obtained without the cooperation of another person. You cannot assume responsibility for it because it is beyond your control.

A goal, or demand, on the other hand is something for which you assume responsibility and expend the effort to obtain. I encourage you to expand your desires, leaving the responsibility for them up to God; then submit your goals, plans and actions to Him. These are safeguards for God’s children.

Wish list development

A wish list is a compilation of things you would be willing to do, be or have during your lifetime, should God choose to bless you accordingly. This list should be developed and managed.

Brainstorm – begin by making a list of at least 100 things you would be willing to do, be or have. Do not limit your thoughts to “heavenly things” but try to capture everything you have wished, wanted, dreamed, or wondered about. Place yourself in an idea rich environment by looking at books and magazines, talking with interesting people, and using other ways to come across a wide array of ideas. Push yourself to make the list as long as possible. It might help to categorize the list as things you would like to “do, be or have” right now, or at a specific future time (ten years or when the kids are grown), or an ambiguous “maybe/perhaps” sometime.

But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. – James 1:14-15

Select – Not everything on your first list will end up being a desire. Some ideas will prove to be an inspiration and others a temptation. James teaches us about being tempted so we can learn to avoid it. Eliminate the items on your list that are likely to become evil desires.

You may also discover things that make your first list, but on further consideration you realize that it is not something that you really want to do, be or have. As you scratch them off your list you will be discovering more about what truly motivates you.

There may be some items that should be treated as goals instead of desires. These are things that you know God has already assigned to you, and you should be taking responsibility for getting them done. Transfer them to a goal worksheet and begin to design your plans and actions.

Prioritize – Now take your remaining wish list and prioritize it by importance. There will be some desires that are quite near and dear to you at the top. They are a combination of your passions and values, an important part of your identity. As you create this list you may discover secret parts of your life that have been suppressed for the sake of “reality”.

I use a three-phase system to organize the remaining items. It helps me to hold onto each desire loosely, as is necessary.

Phase I: items that I am willing to request of God right now.
Phase II: items that are either dependent on Phase I things being done or they have a lower urgency for some other reason.
Phase III: items that I would be overjoyed to “do, be or have” but my relationship with God or ability to be fruitful is not dependent on them.

Review – You should review and renew your list on a regular basis. This process allows you to make changes as you mature in the Lord, recognizing that you will have put some things behind you. It also keeps your requests fresh. This can help you recognize an answer to prayer when it comes to you. A regular review also builds your attitude of gratitude as you thank God for all the blessings He is bestowing on you.

Royal living

Heirs live differently than other people. They are more thankful for what they have. They are better acquainted with their identity and the purpose for which God made them. They are more content with their current life, and more expectant toward their future. They are more fruitful.

Live the abundant life by developing and managing the desires of your heart.