Prayer from the heart - Isaiah 33:22

Isaiah 33.2 NIV

"Lord, be gracious to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength every morning,
our salvation in time of distress."

I guess that we've all heard the phrase 'you are what you eat'. Its hardly true, but it sounds right. However, a truer phrase might be 'you are what you pray', or perhaps less catchy but more correct: 'you reveal your heart towards God in what you pray'.

This little prayer reveals so clearly the reality of the love for God and trust of God in the heart of it's writer.  In the middle of huge trouble, of the judgement coming upon Israel that God has promised, there is a right cry for God's mercy and grace.  But it doesn't come from a survival instinct, from worry about my own safety or my own security.  There's a much deeper, better motivation.  There's a greater heart cry beneath it.

The heart cry that is the real motivation is simply this:  "we long for you."  Isn't that the heart cry that God longs for in all of us?  Isn't that the heart cry of the redeemed - those who realise the wonder of God's amazing love for them, who understand that all they are, even their next breath, is a gift from Him, whose heart has been won by God, who love Him with all their heart, mind, soul and strength.  This is the heart cry, like Paul's cry "I want to know you", of one who loves Him!

And, when we're taken up with His love, then we realise His protection - how can He turn His back on those who He has brought at such a great price?;  then we understand His care - are we not the sheep of His pasture?;  then we know that, no matter what our eyes see, we are the constant beneficiaries of His goodness.  And so we pray, just like we see in this verse, for Him - 'You be our strength every morning' ... how could we want any other strength?;  'You be our salvation in time of distress' ... how could we run to any other?

You see - our prayers not only show, but come from the true desire of our heart.  If we love Him with the deep love that we should have in the light of our great salvation, then our prayers will always be for Him!  And then He gives us the delight of our heart!!