Have you ever asked that question?  Surely I'm not the only one who's asked that question of God.  That thought has raced through my mind more than once.  Those words have rolled off the end of my tongue.  I've asked that question when things were going really good from a sincere heart and I have asked that question resulting from situations and circumstances that I personally didn't like, let alone understand.

More often than we would want to admit we ask God that question when things don't go according to our plans.  That thought, "God, what do you want" races through our mind in frustration, anxiousness, and possibly anger.  When we think that, ask that and even pray that, do we really want to know the answer or are we just throwing our own little spiritual temper tantrum hoping to manipulate God into giving us what we think we need or what we want?

Are we really interested in hearing heaven's answer?  What if God told us what He wanted, would it matter?  Would we listen?  Would it change anything or would we just get angry and go on our way as though we didn't hear him.  Would we give Him an opportunity to speak or would we just argue with Him?

What if He already told us?  What if God told us I have already told what I want and it's never mattered to you what I wanted?  Would it matter?  Would you stop long enough to sort though your memory to ask yourself, "what did God tell me that he wanted?"

I would suppose that the majority of energy and effort spent in prayer is trying to convince God to do what we want, change the things we don't like, and to get us out of the messes we get ourselves into.

What would happen in your life personally, under your roof, in the ministry of our church at Flack Memorial if we all heard or remembered what God told us He wanted?  One night this week Jody sent me to the grocery store with a list of things she wanted me to pick up. 

Just before I left the house she told me something that she wanted. 

It wasn't on my list.  I heard her say it and I told her I would get it. 

I went to the store and got everything on the list.  When I got home and carried everything in and set it on the counter it occurred to me that I had forgotten the one thing, the only thing she told me she wanted.  Without hesitation, I headed back out the door to go get the one thing she told me she wanted.  Jody wouldn't have been upset or angry that I forgot the one thing she told me she wanted.  I could have said, "its' no big deal!" 

But because I love her, I wanted her to know that I did hear her and not only did I hear her I was willing to be inconvenienced to demonstrate my love for her. 

As I reflect on that moment and as I write this, I fear that is what we tell God more than we should.  "It's no big deal!"  "God, I meant to do what you wanted."  "I'll get to it tomorrow."  "I hope you understand."

"I'm so busy."   

Back to our question, "God, what do you want?"  Would you believe that it's simple but it will cost you everything?  What God wants, He wants when everything is going great and when your world is falling apart.  When we get this figured out, we'll hardly notice the difference.

What God wants is this.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:5 NIRV

That's what God wants more than anything! 

That might not be the answer you were looking for but that's it. 

If we are really interested in knowing what God wants, then what we want will be less important.  The spiritual temper tantrums, the attempts at manipulating God through many religious sounding words will cease, the power of God will be unleashed in the hearts of men, women, boys and girls who want what God wants more than what we want.

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him