Needs And Wants

Needs And Wants "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:7-8 Are you in need of things today as you read this devotional? I would hasten to add that there are not many people who feel that they do not need something. But today I want you to concentrate on whether it is a need, or a want. There is a difference as God promises to provide all our needs. He demonstrated this to the people of Israel during their 40 years in the desert, as they were leaving a life of slavery and journeying to their promised land. He provided manna from Heaven to feed them, he parted the waters of the Red Sea to protect them and gave them water to quench their thirst from the dry desert floor. God promises that He will provide all our needs in whatever situations we find ourselves in today. God knows our hearts, our lives, our likes, our dislikes, as nothing is hidden from Him, or is a mystery to Him. He created each one of us, the good and the bad. He lets the sun shine on each, and lets the rain fall on both. The thing that gets in the way of getting our desires met, is that we are selfish; we want what we see, what we hear, what we taste, what we feel, and all our earthly senses fulfilled. What would be pleasing to God is when that all our wants and desires were just not for ourselves, but were for others as well. To want and desire prosperity for the destitute, hope for the desolate, forgiveness for the sinner, and salvation for the lost. These are the divine prayers that Christian's should pray for, that others would obtain the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior, instead of praying only for our own selfish wants and desires, as so often these are things of the world, and not the things God desires for us. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 18