The best-known verse is "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:4). The promise is for people whose delight is God Himself. He "will fulfil the desire of them that fear him" (Psalm 145:19), and "no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11).
Psalm 37:4 is one of the most-loved promises in the Bible, and one of the most misunderstood. It is not a blank check, and it is not a warning against wanting things. It is an invitation to delight in God first and to bring every longing to Him. These twelve King James verses explain the promise, show how to pray about the desires of your heart, and describe how God gently reshapes what we want. They make a good companion for New Year goals and a vision for the year ahead.
Delight in the Lord
1. Psalms 37:4
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Delight comes first. As we enjoy God, our desires begin to match His, and He delights to fulfil them. Many readers see both meanings here: God gives what we desire, and He also gives us the desires themselves. See putting God first.
2. Psalms 21:2
"Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah."
David thanks God for granting his heart's desire and the request of his lips. It is right to thank God specifically when a long prayer is answered.
3. Psalms 145:19
"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them."
The desire of those who fear the LORD will be fulfilled, and He hears their cry. Fear here means reverent trust, the kind that brings every request to Him.
4. Psalms 84:11
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."
God is a sun to light the way and a shield to protect. Whatever He withholds is not truly good for us at that time, which is why His no can be a kindness.
Bringing your desires to God
5. Psalms 38:9
"Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee."
All my desire is before thee. David holds nothing back, not even his groaning. You do not have to hide what you want from God; He already knows it.
6. Psalms 10:17
"LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:"
God hears the desire of the humble and prepares their heart. Sometimes the first answer to a prayer is a changed heart that is ready for His timing.
7. Proverbs 13:12
"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life."
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, and Scripture is honest about it. When a desire is finally fulfilled, it is like a tree of life. This verse is a comfort for anyone still waiting. See waiting on God.
8. Philippians 2:13
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
God works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Good desires to serve, love, give or grow are often His work in us, not only our own ideas.
When God reshapes what you want
9. James 4:3
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."
James explains some unanswered prayers: we ask amiss, to spend it on our own pleasures. It is a loving check on our motives, not a reason to stop asking.
10. Psalms 73:25
"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee."
Asaph nearly lost his footing envying the prosperous, until he saw God as his true treasure. When God becomes the deepest desire, other desires find their proper place.
11. Isaiah 26:8
"Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee."
The desire of our soul is to thy name. Isaiah describes people whose longing is for God Himself while they wait for Him to act.
12. Proverbs 10:24
"The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted."
The desire of the righteous shall be granted. Proverbs often states general truths about how life under God tends to go, not guarantees about every wish on our schedule.
A short prayer
Lord, I delight in You. You know every desire of my heart, even the ones I am afraid to say out loud. Shape my wants to match Your will, give me patience when hope is deferred, and thank You that no good thing will You withhold from those who walk uprightly. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Get our free 7-Day New Year Scripture Focus Plan · Write your desires as prayers in the 30-Day Prayer Journal · Keep a promise close with the Scripture Memory Cards
Frequently asked questions
What does Psalm 37:4 really mean?
It means that when God is our delight, He fulfils the desires of our heart. The next verse adds, "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:5). Delight and trust come first; the promise grows out of a relationship, not a formula.
Will God give me everything I want?
No, and that is good news. God gives what is good, in His timing. John writes, "if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us" (1 John 5:14), and James warns about asking amiss (James 4:3). Bring every desire to Him and trust Him with the answer. See God answering prayers.
Is it wrong to want a spouse, a child or a career?
No. Hannah longed for a child (1 Samuel 1), and Scripture calls a fulfilled desire "a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12). Good desires become a problem only when they replace God or when we try to take them in ways He forbids. Pray honestly, as Hannah did, and wait with hope. For dating, see Bible verses for your boyfriend.
What is a good verse about desires for the new year?
Psalm 37:4-5 is a favorite, and so is "Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel" (Psalm 20:4). Write your desires as prayers, hold your plans loosely as James 4:15 teaches, and review them with God through the year. Our free New Year Scripture plan can help you start.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about putting God first · Bible verses about vision · Bible verses about waiting on God · Bible verses about God answering prayers · Bible verses for the New Year · Bible verses about God providing · Bible verses about business
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