Needs vs. Wants - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) April 7, 2026

God will address what you really need, not necessarily what you want. Read that sentence again, but slowly this time. Say it out loud and let it sink in because it is a truth many despise hearing, but it is a truth we all must learn to accept.

When the lame man at the gate called Beautiful arrived there, he planned to beg for money. He was unable to work and surely needed money to live. We may want to romanticize the old biblical days, but back then, as now, nothing was free. That man still needed money to make ends meet.

Yet, when Christ's disciples saw him at the Temple, they didn't reach into their money bag to help him. Instead, they did something very different. Peter asked the man to look at him and his fellow disciple, John. The lame man "gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them" (Acts 3:4-5). Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3:6).

And walk he did, to the amazement of himself and all who witnessed this miracle. Now, this man had wanted money, and in fact, he needed it. However, being led by the Holy Spirit, Peter knew what was really necessary - the healing of his body. But the Lord didn't stop there; He made sure the man received something else, too - faith in God through Jesus Christ. Something no amount of money could ever have purchased. And in this way, the Lord dealt with what was of primary concern to Him - the transformation of the man's spiritual condition.

Oftentimes, God will do something similar with us. We'll have a fervent petition for something we really want. It will make complete sense to pray for this situation, but God will give us something...different. He usually does this to address the real issue we have and change our spiritual condition. Alas, many of us don't understand this when it happens to us and overlook God's objective. To be fair, we are often so weighed down by troubles that it is hard to lift our eyes to see the anchor and light of God, much less what He's focused on.

Nevertheless, we need to learn from the lame man's experience that what we think we need or want might not be what God desires to give us. And because His ways are higher than ours, we must yield to what He wants for us, understanding that He knows best. If God plans to transform us so our faith is increased, as he did for the lame man and all who saw his miraculous healing, that is worth more than silver, gold, or any other modern currency. With faith rooted in the name of Jesus, everything changes, and we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). We become more than conquerors in a world conspiring to keep us bound and deprive us of the fullness of life promised in John 10:10.

Now, this doesn't mean that God will not grant the wants we pray for. Jesus taught us in Matthew 7:7-8 to ask so we receive, and there is nothing wrong with presenting our desires to the Lord. However, the lame man's experience serves as a reminder that if you ask for a thing and the Lord gives you something else, gratitude, not complaints, is the appropriate response. Given that He knows best, He will provide what is really needed, and we must be humble to receive it.

God has so much He wants us to have. There is nothing good that the blameless will be deprived of (Psalm 84:11). His more will come at His appointed time if we are patient enough to wait. So, when God gives you something other than what you prayed for, remember the lame man who jumped and praised God. Like him, acknowledge the Lord with gratitude and thanksgiving, realizing that there are more blessings where that came from. Then 'lock in' with Him, not just because of what He can give but because of who He is. The God who gave you what you truly needed.

As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

1. Let God Have His Way

2. The Pruning

3. Speak Boldly

4. You are being built for the Lord

5. The Anchor

6. Give God What He Wants To Get What You Want

7. A Pathway To Answered Prayers

8. How To Treat What God Reveals

9. Depend Solely On God

10. Abandon Your Preconceived Notions

11. Topic: Fruitfulness, Fruit

12. Topic: God is responsible for you

13. Topic: Patience

14. Topic: Praise

15. Topic: Prayers & Petitions

16. Topic: Suffering

17. Topic: Thanks

18. Topic: The Wait