During morning prayer, I wanted to share a quote from EM Bounds on the importance of prolonged prayer. Every time I read an EM Bounds book on prayer, I always discover valuable insights. While researching my text, I stumbled upon a remarkable passage on the importance of desire in prayer. It was very appropriate for us at that moment. And it is an essential element of my personal relationship with God. I firmly believe that all believers should make praying for desire a priority. Desire plays a fundamental role in prayer, as Bounds writes:
Desire is not a mere wish. It is a deep-rooted aspiration, a passionate quest for fulfillment.
The desire to help
I told the prayer group how, after becoming a Christian, my only desire was to help others. My intention was to do this by giving advice and encouragement. Even though I was only 22 or 23 years old, I felt I possessed wisdom beyond my years. I saw adults ruin their lives, making serious mistakes that could have been avoided. A desire arose within me to help other Christians with advice in an informal, personalized way. I had no interest in ministry, preaching, or other such activities. Far, far be it from me to have such thoughts.
Today I find myself fully involved in ministry. And it's impossible for me to imagine life any other way. While, in obedience to the Lord, I had abandoned my writing projects and my dreams of worldly fame and success at the time, I now find myself writing. And I do it because God has persistently brought it back to me in a different form. It wasn't planned and it wasn't something I wanted.
Desire makes the difference
What made the difference? Certainly, the fact of having understood that there was a call on my life had a lot to do with it, but it was the desire that played the predominant role. It was not a question of going there under duress; on the contrary, the Lord aroused in me a burning desire to do only His will and to accomplish His plan. He created an irresistible and constant desire to know His plan intimately and to live solely for its fulfillment. The process was gradual, with moments of intense prayer and various experiences in the Word and in life, and the precious things of the Father became precious to me. Thus, all my prayers emanate from this deep desire, especially when they concern questions relating to God, our relationship with Him and His mission.
“The deeper the desire, the stronger the prayer,” writes Bounds.
One day, after a sermon on knowing God as Father and a passion for His kingdom, it was time for prayer. We prayed that God would reveal His will and purpose to us, as Jesus instructed. I specifically encouraged everyone to pursue a passionate desire for the kingdom. As I watched them pray, I lamented their lack of fervor. It occurred to me that if I were to ask them to pray for financial prosperity, the temperature would likely be very different. Yet, at that moment, their prayers seemed lukewarm, lacking the fervor that genuine desire brings. Is it possible that a desire for God and His ways is becoming less and less appealing in the church today?
The desire for air
Let me share a story that many of us know and that I shared with them on this occasion, if my memory serves me right, or it could have been at the prayer group meeting; we don't poke fun at it. A young man approached a wise old man and asked, “How can I truly know God?” In response, the old man pushed him into a nearby pool, dipping his head underwater. The young man struggled desperately, trying to lift his head to get some air. He finally did, gasping for air. Confused and perhaps a little alarmed, he wondered what this eccentric old man was doing. Finally, when he could breathe again, the old man said, “When you long for God as desperately as you longed for air a moment ago, you will truly know Him.” Desire, then, is the key.
There is a strong correlation between the awareness of need and the birth of desire. Many of us do not fully realize our need for God and the crucial importance of living our lives for Him, otherwise our existence will be a waste. The young man did not once think about air until he found himself in a situation where he desperately needed it. According to Bounds, in that same beautiful chapter on prayer and desire, It is the inner awareness of spiritual need that creates desire, which then manifests itself in prayer.
Desire is an inner yearning for something we do not possess.
EM Bounds
Desire, the fuel of prayer
Our prayer for God's revelation must be fueled by desire. When we devote ourselves to God's work, it is essential to have a burning desire for His success and to pray fervently for it, whether for efforts within His Church or for our personal projects for God's kingdom. If we ever feel a lack of desire, we can cry out to our God, who empowers us to will and act according to His will. He awakens in us the desire to discover His will and put it into practice.
It is unfortunate that some believers neglect their prayer life and do not nourish the Word of God in their hearts. When you ask them to change their habits, their answers betray a lack of desire. Sometimes they claim to be extremely busy, leaving them no time to pray or read the Word. These are individuals who lack understanding, unaware that the enemy of their souls rules their affections and imprisons their inner being. They must pray for desire, a holy and ardent desire. One can, on principle and wisdom, do what one should do—pray, in this case. But one must go further, ask for desire, and the Lord will grant them a deep desire. Many do not do this. I often argue that backsliding does not begin when one stops attending church, but rather when the desire for the Word and prayer begins to wane.
Reconciling action with desire
For many people, including those within the Pentecostal movement, prayer can sometimes be limited to uttering routine formulas to God, perhaps even speaking in tongues, while the heart remains distant. We recite prayers without truly desiring what we are asking for. Our actions after prayer serve as a test. Are we aligning our lives with what we have asked for? When we pray for souls, are we actively working to bring them into the kingdom? When we pray for church growth, are we serving in ways that bring people to church?
Do we truly desire what God desires? Sometimes our hearts contain conflicting desires. Consider this scenario: Imagine praying for church growth, a noble request that aligns with what we know to be God's will. However, we do so while dreading the challenges such growth might bring. We cry out for the salvation of souls, but we also feel apprehensive about losing ourselves in a larger congregation.
Preserve the desire
Beware of false complacency, a common phenomenon in many lives. When people face material or physical challenges, they desperately seek God, praying urgently, willing to travel long distances and make sacrifices to find a place to pray. However, once the problems are resolved, complacency sets in, stifling spiritual hunger. The need for God's presence and guidance is obscured, even forgotten.
Be careful not to let your desire for material things eclipse your desire for God.
Certainly, it's natural to desire material blessings, personal success, or a comfortable lifestyle. However, we cannot make these our priority or our only goals. What the church truly needs today is hearts aflame with a fervent desire—a deep desire for God and His kingdom. When we direct our desire toward an intimate relationship with God rather than toward material possessions, our prayer becomes constant. It is now a passionate conversation with our Creator, not simply an obligation.
Let us cultivate within ourselves a burning desire for God, a hunger that continually draws us to the place of prayer. May our hearts resonate with the words of the psalmist: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1, NIV).
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