A Prayer to Replace Our Worldly Cravings with Heavenly Desires
By Alisha Headley
“Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
We live in a world where everything is showcased across multiple social media platforms. Everything is displayed from our daily encounters to our house upgrades, vacations, job titles and responsibilities, children’s activities, outfits, fitness, and diet routines, and even our marriage and all our social outings are displayed for everyone to see. Perhaps you are not one to display your life, but you are on these platforms where you most certainly check on other’s life almost daily.
Maybe you are not a part of the social media world at all, but you are most likely inundated by your devices each day with a buffet line of alerts and notifications of every type of all latest and greatest events going on or items we must buy, and it’s easy to get lured into wanting the next shiny thing in order to keep up with others around us. If we’re not careful, this luring can turn into something we begin to start craving and we find ourselves building our life here on earth in ways that don’t line up with God’s life He desires for us to build.
While having nice things and enjoying shopping and socializing are certainly not wrong and things we should enjoy. But when it becomes wrong, is when we begin to depend on it and crave it more and more, and perhaps crave it more than the Lord.
Today’s verse talks about laying our treasures in heaven and not on this earth. Everything we can buy here on earth in a materialistic way or crave on this earth can be destroyed as today’s scripture states. In fact, not only can it be destroyed by wear and tear or stolen by a thief, but they are things that you can never take with you after your life here on earth. Not one thing you build here on earth with regards to things will go with you to heaven.
1 Timothy 6:7 says, “for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
It’s ok to enjoy the things of this earth, but to crave after these things that are fleeting and not eternal can take away from our heavenly treasures. We need to begin to replace our worldly cravings with more heavenly desires. The more we crave things of this world, the more our heart molds into the world. As today’s verse says that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Is your heart set on the Lord and His desires or on worldly cravings? The more your heart becomes a heart of this world, the farther away your heart gets from the Lord’s perfect plan and purpose for your life We must live with a desire for heaven in all circumstances to not let our hearts crave worldly things.
Let’s strive to crave the Lord more than we crave earthly things. Let’s begin to replace our worldly cravings and plant for ourselves treasures that we can take with us to heaven. Treasures of love, kindness, and forgiveness, and being a disciple to all we meet. Let’s turn those worldly cravings into heavenly lasting treasures.
Let’s pray:
Dear God,
Thank you, Lord, that you have given us Scripture like today’s verses to shed wisdom on our lives here on earth as we navigate through it. We confess to you today that sometimes we get caught up in worldly pursuits. Sometimes our flesh takes over and we crave the things of this world, more than we crave you and your purposes for us. Father, forgive us. We ask for your strength in these times of weakness. We ask that “your word will be the lamp that lights out path” (Psalm 119:105) that can lead us into a place of contentment rather than a place of wanting more of this world. Please change our desires in craving worldly things. Lord, you have called us to be set apart (Matthew 5:14) in this world, and we ask for your strength to shine through in our weaknesses. We ask that you guide our hearts to places and people where our treasures are laid up in heaven. We ask for fresh eyes and a new perspective to see our lives from a place of true contentment, rather than a place of scarcity as if we are missing out on what others have. Help us find our joy and worth in you and in your purposes for us. We love you and look forward to the day we spent eternity with you in all your treasures.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Photo credit: ©SalemDesign/BethanyPyle
Alisha Headley is a writer + speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Stepping into her true calling, she left the corporate world behind as a former-financial VP to love on her family as a stay-at-home wifey + dog mama, while also being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom + power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God’s word. In her free time, Alisha enjoys road trips around the country, working out so she can eat her favorite foods, and creatively styling her outfits with a craft for fashion. Alisha is a proud wifey and dog mama living in Scottsdale, Arizona.
You can follow her blog by visiting her website or connect with her on facebook + instagram.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
Now that you've prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below!
Originally published Monday, 16 May 2022.
SHARE
