Finding Purpose in the “Desire of Your Heart.”

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”
- Psalm 20:4

When I’ve read this verse in the past, my focus immediately went to the success part. But what about the “desire of your heart”? What if the key to unlocking the right plans and the right success is first understanding what that desire truly is?

Many of us spend our lives searching for purpose, believing this is something outside of ourselves, or a hidden treasure we need to discover.

But what if God planted purpose in you at the very beginning?

For years, I was on a desperate search for my God-given purpose. I framed purpose in my mind as needing a “special talent” or having a “specific degree.” I spent a lot of time trying to develop an external skill when I should have been looking internally. I believed it was something clear, measurable, and marketable.

I saw others who were talented and confident in their work and often wondered, “How did they discover their purpose?” And then I doubted myself. “I don’t have a gift that stands out.”

This is the trap many of us fall into. We compare our unique design and life experiences to someone else’s, thinking our purpose needs to look a certain way or fit the world’s standard.

My turning point came when I stopped searching for a talent that was connected to “purpose” and leaned into desire.

I realized that my purpose wasn’t so much an obvious external talent but the innate desire to come alongside and encourage those who are struggling.

I remembered when I was young having a pull to help people overcome life’s hardships and experience true emotional healing. Although I never got the degree to live out that desire; I simply needed to use the gift of empathy and the talent for listening that God so generously poured on me.

If your purpose feels hidden or unattainable, stop trying to force an outcome and instead go back to the source. Your truest, deepest desire is God-given with an eternal purpose uniquely designed for you.

Ask yourself what brought you the most joy in your younger years? Consider focusing on what you are naturally skilled at, such as encouraging, teaching, serving, or organizing. Could these skills be used to solve a problem in your community that points directly to your deepest sense of compassion?

You can also find purpose by reflecting on what makes you come alive. It shows up in doing something you enjoy, where time flies and you feel most authentically doing what comes naturally. That feeling is often the Holy Spirit aligning you with your purpose.

God weaves His design for you into the fabric of your personality.

The desire of your heart is not something you have to force externally; it is a seed that God planted in you when He designed you. When you recognize it, receive it, nourish it and allow it to grow.

When we understand that the “desire of our heart” is simply the way our God-given purpose expresses itself, we can confidently pray Psalm 20:4, trusting that He will indeed grant it and cause all of our God given plans to succeed.

Don’t search for talent. Search for the desire. It’s already there.