What do you want?  

When it comes to grocery shopping there are two categories of people. The first are those arrive at the supermarket with shopping list in hand, know already exactly what they want. The second are those who meander through the aisles, browsing shelves and picking up whatever looks attractive. 

These two categories also play out in life more broadly.

Some people take the time to identity exactly what they want in life, while others meander through months and years, giving their time and attention to fashions, fads and trivial pursuits. 

The life of faith is never vague, it’s always specific. God’s intent is that we focus our faith with such clarity that we can articulate exactly what it is that we’re believing for in the future. In the same way that a camera must be focused to achieve the right results, so too our faith needs focus in order to produce results. 

Habakkuk 2:2 in the Message translation reads: 

“Write this.

Write what you see.

Write it out in big block letters

so that it can be read on the run.”

Putting a grand plan in writing can be confronting, intimidating and even uncomfortable, but there’s incredible power in it. When you know what you want, you know what to pray for, what to look for, and what to give thanks for in your journey forward. 

In Mark 10:46-52 we read of an interaction between Jesus and a blind man called Bartimaeus. To this blind man Jesus asks what appears to be an obvious (and somewhat rude!) question: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’

Jesus didn’t ask the question because He was looking for information - He knew what Bartimaeus needed. Jesus asked the question because He was looking for faith! He wanted Bartimaeus to articulate his faith and express he desire in prayer. 

What about you? Have you taken the time to write what you see so that you can begin to run with it? 

When you know what you want, your next step becomes much more apparent.

When you know what you want, prayer becomes a joy and not a duty.

When you know what you want, you know what you’re looking for in life.

When you know what you want, you know what to thank God for when it happens!