What do you desire most in your life?

Everyone has something—usually more than one something—that they yearn for, dream about, or deeply desire. Most of those desires fall in line with the Word of God—financial prosperity, health, family, ministry, and all-around success. Yet, so many desires go unfulfilled. Why?

You may already know the basics of what it takes to receive from God:

• Faith (believing, speaking right words, putting faith into action)
• Obedience (forgiving, tithing, giving, humility, etc.)
• Love (loving others according to 1 Corinthians 13)

But, if you’ve been pursuing each of these (and it does take continual pursuit), and still don’t have what you desire most, you might be wondering, What am I missing?

Here are some key hindrances and faith principles to help you discover why you don’t have what you desire most, so you can make a change and turn things around!

1. God Is Not Your ONLY Source

Yet for us there is [only] one God, the Father, Who is the Source of all things. (1 Cor. 8:6)

If you don’t have what you desire most, it’s time to ask some questions.

Who are you relying on to get you what you desire most? Your income? Your connections? The government?

In other words, who or what is your source?

It’s easy to say that God is your Source, but if you suddenly find yourself out of a job—you find out who your source is by the way you respond. If you panic and become stricken with fear, you know you’ve made your job your source. If you’re afraid of losing your job or you search the internet and ask friends for the answer to relationship or health problems, God is not your ONLY source.

Certainly, God uses many channels to help and bless you, but if God is not your ONLY source—the ONLY one you rely on—then your faith is in the wrong place. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. And only when you trust fully in Him will He give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4-5).

2. You Don’t Dream Beyond the Possible

All things are possible to him who believes. (Mark 9:23)

Do the things you desire most far exceed what seems possible? Do you allow yourself to believe for things outside what your salary, your circumstances or even your body can accomplish?

If not, you haven’t made God your ONLY source. There are natural limits to everything here on earth, but His means are limitless!

The key to doing this, Keith Moore says, is that “you have to discipline yourself not to try and think of HOW it could happen. Faith is evidence of the unseen.”

What if you’re believing for something and two years pass, five years pass, 10 years pass without it? Well, time is passing anyway, isn’t it? You might as well believe for something in the meantime and do so without wondering if God would actually give it to you.

Keith Moore says, “If the Father was ever going to withhold something and say, ‘That’s too much,’ it would’ve been Jesus. If He was willing to give you Jesus, everything else is small potatoes. Why would He not freely give us all things?”

Watch as Keith Moore shares a powerful example of believing beyond what you think is possible.

3. God Is Not Your ONLY Source of Value

For God bought you with a high price. (1 Cor. 6:20)

What makes you feel like you have value? Most people have their identity and sense of self-worth attached to something in their life. It can be your appearance, your material belongings or the opinions of others. Many times, people see their value as tied to their profession.

But what happens when those things are no longer there? Who are you? What are you? If tomorrow, you could no longer do what you do professionally, would you lose your value? That’s what happens to pro athletes and celebrities when they are injured or age. All their identity was wrapped up in what they did, instead of who they are, and if they lose what they do, they don’t know who they are anymore.

When God is your ONLY Source of value, you won’t be insecure. You won’t need lots of compliments and pats on the back. You won’t need to be promoted to feel valuable. That’s because you know that your value was set before you were born.

So, the next time the enemy tries to bring a thought to you that you’re not worth much, ask him, “How come the highest price that’s ever been paid for anything was paid for me?”

The economy changes, professions change. But your value never changes. Let God be your ONLY Source of value and your heart will be prepared to receive what you desire most.

4. God Is Not Your ONLY Rock

Only—from his excellency they have consulted to drive away…. Only—for God, be silent, O my soul, For from Him [is] my hope. Only—He [is] my rock and my salvation, My tower, I am not moved.” (Psalm 62:4-6)

Some people believe they can’t make it without a particular person—they see that person as their rock. If they lose that person, they don’t feel like they can go on. If that’s how you feel, too much of your heart is given to another person—a place where the Lord should be.

When the Lord has your whole heart, you can make it thorough anything because He is your Rock and the Anchor of your soul. He will always be there. The Lord will NEVER leave you. He will NEVER forsake you. He will NEVER let you down. And you will always be just as valuable to Him as you were when He paid the highest price for you.

When God is your ONLY Rock, you are positioned to have what you desire most because you’ve put Him in the proper place in your life.

5. God Is Not Your ONLY Source of Peace

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7)

We have experienced some trying times recently—and they continue. In times where the norm is shaken or disrupted, you find out who your source is, who your rock is, where your identity is and where your peace is found.

Do you find your peace in the state of the economy? The DOW? The state of politics? Your supply of toilet paper?

There are only two directions you can look for what you need and desire—to God or to man (including yourself).

Most Christians are shaken to the core and lose their peace when things change because they’ve been relying on man. But that is misplacing faith—taking it from God and giving it to man.

Psalm 20:6-9 shows us that trusting in the wrong thing—trusting in man instead of God—will end in demise. No matter who people are or how wonderful they are—they’re not God. You can’t substitute anyone or anything for God. That place in your heart is exclusively reserved for God ALONE.

Now that doesn’t mean you can’t have confidence in other people, but God alone should have that major place in your heart. Faith in people is optional. Faith in God is not.

And just look at the life of someone who has learned to make God their ONLY Source of peace:

“Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8)

That’s the key to having what you desire most. When God is your everything, you can have anything.

6. You’re Forgetting to Give Glory to Whom It Is Due

Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful. (Deut. 8:18)

When your job is going well, you’re prospering, your family is tight and you’re healthy—what do you say when people compliment you?

It’s easy to want to take credit. “Well, we do work hard,” you might say. It sounds innocent enough, but if you’re forgetting to give glory to whom it is due, in any area, you’ve moved into the carnal realm. That’s claiming to be the source of your increase, and that’s a lie. You’re not the source of your salvation, Redemption, strength, grace, peace and abundance.

God is the reason for anything good in your life. That doesn’t mean you didn’t cooperate, but forgetting to give credit to God for every good thing is pride. Pride will shut off the flow to what you desire quicker than anything.

When things go well for you, that’s a testimony to people of the goodness of God. That’s why Abram refused to take anything from anyone. He told those who offered him financial reward, “I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich. (Gen. 14:23) He didn’t want credit for his success going anywhere but to the glory of God.

It can be challenging to look inside your heart and see why you don’t have what you desire most, but the wise are eager to do so because they know it will help them overcome, break through and finally receive those desires. They belong to you! God wants you to have them. Get with God and ask Him to help you in these areas. He wants to! Then, prepare to receive what you desire most.