Every once in a while, we need to take a few minutes and remember how much God loves the desires He’s put on our hearts.

The enemy does not want the plans of God to come to pass, so he works to discourage us and cut down our hope, including our hope for our dreams. Getting married. Having kids. Bringing people to Jesus. Landing that perfect job. Buying a home. Moving to a different country. Whatever hope God has assigned to you, the enemy wants to ruin it.

But God knows what He’s doing, and your desires are important to Him. In fact, they are more important than you realize.

Here are four beautiful reminders about the longings of your heart and who God is as your Promise Keeper.

1. The door eventually opens.

And so it is with prayer—keep on asking and you will keep on getting; keep on looking and you will keep on finding; knock and the door will be opened. Everyone who asks, receives; all who seek, find; and the door is opened to everyone who knocks. (Luke 11:9–10 TLB)

If you’re experiencing a delay in the fulfillment of your hope, this is nothing to worry about. Just keep praying. You may need to ask and keep asking for a while, but eventually that door WILL open.

If you feel like God is not acting on your behalf, or like you’ve been knocking for a long time and nothing is happening, take a deep breath and hold on to Luke 11:9–10. Choose to believe it is true for you, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Take your thoughts captive and change them so they match Luke 11:9–10.

2. You aren’t the only one interested in your dreams.

God, the searcher of the heart, knows fully our longings, yet he also understands the desires of the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit passionately pleads before God for us, his holy ones, in perfect harmony with God’s plan and our destiny. (Rom. 8:27 TPT)

With this verse, The Passion Translation includes the following note:

Or “God, the heart-searcher.” God searches our hearts not just to uncover what is wrong, but to fulfill the true desire of our hearts to be fully his. Grace triumphs over judgment.

The true desire of your heart is to be fully His. Isn’t that amazing? God knows your heart and everything inside it, and He Himself is at work to draw you into your destiny in “perfect harmony” with Him and what He has for you.

If you feel forgotten, or like God just doesn’t understand or care about your longings, choose to believe Romans 8:27 in faith. Don’t allow your thoughts to run in other directions—take them captive and train them to follow Romans 8:27.

3. When Jesus is your focus, you will feel at peace about the future.

Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those
whose imaginations are consumed with you;
they confidently trust in you. (Isa. 26:3 TPT)

Be happy with Yahweh,

and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:4 NOG)

When God has the “number one” spot in your heart, you can fully, completely relax in Him, resting in His goodness and knowing with confidence that He will do exactly what He said. Resting in Him and trusting His timing are a beautiful act of worship. As you trust Him, pay attention to the leading of His Spirit, and do what He shows you, you will run headfirst into your dreams.

If you feel like God might not be your focus right now, tell Him you want Him to be your focus and ask Him to help you. Write down one of the verses in this devotional; keep it with you and repeatedly declare it is true for you. As you practice making Jesus your focus this way, you will start to feel your heart change.

4. God and His dreams for you are bigger than you think.

In his book The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis wrote the following about human desires:

It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

What has God put on your heart? Is it something big? Is it something “small,” but it’s precious to you?

Don’t be afraid to trust Him, because He is worth trusting. You are going to see HOW MUCH He is the answer to your heart’s longings, and He will be faithful to you in ways you never expected. A short time from now, your life will be different in certain ways, and it will be because of Him, His dreams, and His faithfulness to your heart.

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4 Truths About Your Dreams and Why You Shouldn't Give Up