How To Get Your Prayers Answered! – III

Psalm 37:1-7

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

We have examined verses 1 through 3 and 5 through 7 of Psalm 37. Why did I skip verse 4? Because it summerizes the other verses. And this one verse shows clearly the secret of how to get your prayers answered! But it comes with a warning: it is not a quick and easy answer! Once more, here is Psalm 37:1 through 7:

     Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the 
     workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like 
     the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, 
     and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithful-
     ness.  Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give 
     you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD, 
     trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.  He shall 
     bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your jus-
     tice as the noonday.  Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently 
     for Him....

Now let’s concentrate on verse 4 – “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

  • Delight yourself also in the LORD….How am I to delight myself in the LORD?
         Delight in Hebrew is ענג, pronounced aw-nag’.  The mean-
           ing is a bit difficult to discern! Here is what it says 
           in Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary:  “...to be soft or pli-
           able, that is, (figuratively) effeminate or luxurious: 
           [translated in KJV as] delicate (-ness), (have) delight 
           (self), sport self....”

Here are how other translations and paraphrases deal with the word Delight:

       Easy-to-Read Version – “Enjoy serving the LORD....   Good News Bible – “Seek your happiness in the 
               LORD....    God’s Word (to the Nations) – “Be happy with the 
               LORD....   Lexham English Bible – “Take pleasure in Yahweh 
               as well....   Revised Standard Version – “Commit your way to 
               the LORD.... New World Translation (Disclaimer! I do not recom-
               mend the NWT translation.  The Watchtower Bible and 
               Track Society [Jehovhah’s Witness] does not present 
               a scholarly interpretation, and the theology of 
               Jehovah’s Witness is heretical. However, in this 
               case of Psalm 37:4, I believe they have it right) – 
               “Also take exquisite delight in Jehovah.... So the idea of delighting yourself in the Lord means... 

    ...to be tender and soft, thoroughly open to God – 
               all that He is and all that He wants to do in your 
               life!  

             ...to be pliable under His transforming touch! 

             ...to be gentle in that you will not fight Him or 
               struggle against what He is doing or wants to do 
               in and through you!

        ...to be sincerely saying in all things,...
               nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done.” 
               (Luke 22:42).

So the idea is to totally align your will to God’s (and His will to yours). And to do it with delight, enthusiasm, and dedication – nothing held back!

         It means to take exquisite delight in the first and 
           greatest commandment: Hear...the Lord our God, the 
           Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God 
           with all your heart, with all your soul, with all 
           your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:
           29, 30).

        And, since Jesus tells us in John 14:15 (The Living 
           Bible), “If you love Me, obey Me...,” we can substi-
           tute ‘obey’ for the word ‘love’ in the first and 
           greatest commandment:Hear...the Lord our God, the 
           Lord is one. And you shall obey the Lord your God 
           with all your heart, with all your soul, with all 
           your mind, and with all your strength.

And we are to do this all the time!

  • …and He shall give you the desires of your heart.When you so align your heart, soul, mind, and strength with God’s, then…
       ...what He wants will be exactly what you want!

         ...you will be praying according to His will!  For 
           it is written in I John 5:14 and 15:

              Now this is the confidence that we have in 
              Him, that if we ask anything according to 
              His will, He hears us.  And if we know that 
              He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that 
              we have the petitions that we have asked of 
              Him.

         ...you will get your prayers answered!

Earlier, in both How To Get Your Prayers Answered! – II, and at the beginning of this Gem, I warned you, this will not be a quick and easy answer! As a matter of fact, it is a very difficult answer! But the more you “Delight yourself also in the LORD…[the more] He shall give you the desires of your heart.