DELIGHTING GOD

January 15, 2025

 

There are things my children and grandchildren do that bring me great joy and delight. Here are some …

• A consistent, deliberate hug every time I see them.
• A wise choice they make, indicating they understand the truth and walk in wisdom.
• A loving act toward their siblings.
• A knowing smile on my grandchild’s face.
• Watching them quickly obey their parents.
• Tenderness and kindness in any form.
• Hearing their stories and knowing they want me to listen to them.
• A desire to talk to their grandparents genuinely.
• A good conversation as they seek my advice and counsel.
• The quick obedience of a grandchild that shows honor and respect.

I could go on and on. Suffice it to say, my children and grandchildren (all 42 of them!) bring me great delight in so many ways.

DELIGHTING THE FATHER

Do you want to delight God? Would you like to bless and thrill the heart of the One who made you? The Omnipotent Father who sees everything you do? The One before whom we will one day give an account?

Here is a simple, direct way:

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. (Proverbs 15:8)

Simply pray. It delights God. Why would that be so?

• Prayer indicates to Him that we are humble and realize our needs.
• Prayer indicates our desire to be with Him, to commune with Him.
• Prayer brings us into His presence (if rightly done), and our presence is His great desire and delight. He has done everything from Genesis to Revelation to bring us back into His presence, for everything flows from there.
• Prayer acknowledges that we desire to join Him, to follow Him in His work and we know we cannot accomplish that without continual communing, unceasing prayer.
• Prayer indicates our humility and sense of absolute need and dependence. If we think we can do it without God, we don’t pray, which grieves the Father.
• God mentions prayer 650 times in the Bible, and praying shows we get it, we understand its importance.
• Prayer connects our hearts to Him and keeps us where we should be.
• Prayer gives us access to His mind and heart and clarifies our priorities and perspectives.
• Prayer, His Word, and His Spirit are His tools to direct and mobilize us to His great task.
• … and on and on

Imagine a child created by God and for whom He had sent His only begotten Son to redeem and His Spirit to indwell. And then imagine that child ignoring Him, never communing, never praying, never listening, never obeying. And then realize how an attentive, unceasing life of prayer would delight the heart of the Father who made you.

Delight the Father today. Simply pray.

 

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