Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4, N.K.J.V.)

One interpretation of this verse contends that we shouldn’t take David’s words so simply and so literally. According to this interpretation David isn’t saying God rewards His choice servants by granting them what they ask for in prayer. Instead, he is saying that God implants within — gives — His choice servants inner desires to do the things He wants them to do. Think of it as God hardwiring dedicated believers to want the things He Himself wants for them.

Those who hold to this interpretation cite Philippians 2:13, a New Testament passage, as further evidence of the thought. That verse says:

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (N.K.J.V.)

While I won’t dispute that God working in individuals to will His good pleasure does mean that He implants desires within them to do things He wants them to do, I really don’t think this is the meaning of Psalm 37:4. I say that because this verse isn’t the only place in the Psalms where David mentions this idea, and the best commentary on any passage written by David is a similar passage written by David. So, with that in mind here are two other passages from him (both from the N.K.J.V.):

You have given him his heart’s desire, And have not withheld the request of his lips. (Psalm 21:2)

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. (Psalm 145:19)

You’ll notice that both of these references talk about the person’s desire (“his heart’s desire” “the desire”). In this way they remind us of the Psalm 37:4 term “the desires of your heart.” It is noteworthy, then, that each of the two parallel verses clearly links up the person’s desire with answered prayer (“the request of his lips” “their cry”). Obviously, David believed that when a believer delights himself in the Lord, God sees to it that the believer’s requests get answered, “Yes.” Therefore, while I understand the other interpretation and even agree with its premise in light of Philippians 2:13, it doesn’t seem to be the correct interpretation of Psalm 37:4.

Furthermore, if we need a New Testament verse to back up the simpler interpretation, Matthew 6:33 fits the bill pretty well. There Jesus says:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (N.K.J.V.)

You see, seeking first the kingdom of God equates to delighting yourself in the Lord. And, likewise, God giving you “things” — and in the context of Matthew chapter 6 Jesus is referring to food, drink, and clothing — equates to Him giving you the desires of your heart. In both passages the “things” (“the desires of your heart”) get granted as the result of your worthy walk with the Lord.

Another passage that plugs in nicely here is John 15:7, where Jesus says:

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (N.K.J.V.)

Here again we see the cause-and-effect relationship. If the individual abides in Christ, and if Christ’s words abide in the individual, the rewards for that dedication come by way of granted desires (requests). What else can “…you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” mean?

Of course, it should be noted that any individual who truly delights himself in the Lord will not want anything that isn’t God’s will for his life. Even if the person requests such a thing by mistake or ignorance any and all requests will carry underneath them the requester’s permission for God to say, “No, that’s not My will for you.” This attitude is just standard operating procedure for the person who delights himself in the the Lord, seeks the kingdom of God first, abides in Christ, and has Christ’s words abiding in him.

Nevertheless, with this understanding in place, if you are such a person you have every scriptural right to expect God to give you the desires of your heart, add “things” to you, and grant your requests. That’s why, if you are properly qualified, you’re crazy not to ask! It just could be that God is just waiting on you to officially put in your request.