The Pleasure of God in the Prayers of the Upright
The wicked’s sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright’s prayer is his delight; God’s pleasures are not self-pleasure, but fullness of joy and freedom from coercion, constraint, bribery, or blackmail.
The Most Important Practical Question
Last week, we discussed what kinds of human responses to God would please God. How you view God will determine how you think you can please God, and how you decide to try to please God is the most important decision you can make. Pastor: God has no needs that I could ever be required to meet. He is complete in himself, overflowing with joy in the fellowship of the Trinity.
Prayer as the Outworking of Our Thirst
The wicked’s sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright’s prayer is his delight, showing the depths of our poverty and the riches of his grace. God delights most in meeting needs through prayer, not in making demands.
How Can Sacrifice Be an Abomination to God?
If the heart is wicked, the actions it performs, no matter how pious or moral, are an abomination to God. Isaiah 1:13: “Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me.”
What Is an Upright Heart?
Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” The upright’s prayer that delights God comes from a heart that feels precarious in God’s presence at first. David Jeremiah says, “What makes a heart upright is an awareness of our need for mercy.”
Why Does God Delight in the Prayers of the Upright?
God despises the wicked’s sacrifices because they are extensions and outworkings of the heart, whereas the upright’s heart magnifies God’s power and grace, and Psalm 147:11 shows that God delights in prayers that express that hope.
A Closing Gospel Appeal
Drink from the river of life that flows from God’s throne (Revelation 22:1). The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” Let him who hears say, “Come!” and let those who are thirsty come as well.
Does God delight in our prayers?
God not only listens to your prayers, but he is delighted to hear them. God wants you to come before Him today and bring your needs, prayers, and concerns.
Where in the Bible does it say God delights in us?
God delights in us because we praise Him. Psalm 70:4, u201cMay all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’u201d (ESV).
What does Psalm 37 say?
The psalm concludes with a plea to God to bless those who honor him, to bless them with his justice, and to protect them from the snares of the wicked. It has also been interpreted as a prayer of the persecuted who has taken refuge in the temple, or figuratively of refuge in God.
What verse is delight yourself in the Lord?
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”
Why does God delight in our prayers?
God invites us to u201cCALL UPON ME IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE: I WILL DELIVER THEE, and thou shalt glorify Meu201d in Psalm 50:15. God delights in answering our prayers when we are in crisis, and He will always answer our prayers for deliverance and salvation.
What does God delight in?
God delights in loving-kindness, justice, and righteousness; rejoice when you see these things manifested in this world and in your life, because you know your Father is pleased. Matthew 3:17; 17:5; Isa 42:1 – God delights in his Son, Jesus.
How do I take delight in the Lord?
We can enjoy God by spending time with Him, watching what He does in our lives, noticing who He is, learning about His features and characteristics, laughing at the funny moments that come from His hand, holding Him close, talking with Him, and listening to Him.
Does God delight in his creation?
After all, the creation story in Genesis tells us that God looked at what he had created and said, “It is good.” Not only that, but the Bible also tells us that we were created for God’s pleasure (Rev 4:11). This means that God delights in us.
What pleases the Lord?
Enoch pleased God because of his relationship with Him, and the Lord said, “Enoch, this is what pleases Me most. Let us walk into eternity together.”
What is the meaning of Psalms 36?
The psalm can be read literally as a prayer of a persecuted person seeking refuge in the temple, or figuratively as a prayer of someone seeking refuge in God, in which case the psalmist takes pride in God’s goodness, in which he finds safety.
What is the meaning of psalm 38?
The psalm’s subject is God’s displeasure with sin (verses 1u201311), as well as the psalmist’s sufferings and prayers (verses 12u201322). The psalm begins with a prayer, David feeling forgotten by his God, and then alternates between complaint and hope.
What God says about anger?
“Refrain from wrath and anger; it only leads to evil.” “But you, O Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
What Scripture is delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart?
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture; delight yourself in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s desires.
Does God grant me the desires of my heart?
u201cMay He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans,u201d says Psalm 20:4 and 6. u201cNow I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand,u201d says Psalm 20:7.
What is to do God’s will?
The concept of a God having a will (i.e. particular desire) for humanity is known as the will of God or divine will. Ascribing a volition or a plan to a God generally implies a personal God (God regarded as a person with mind, emotions, and will), and it is frequently confused with God’s plan.