Maneuvers - No. 90
What
You Need
Faithful one, what do you need right now?
Some needs might feel more urgent—like when we haven’t eaten all day and we’re desperately craving some comfort food.
Others might feel like a slow, gnawing ache in our hearts—like the longing for a close friend during a lonely season of our lives.
Either way, our needs matter to God. Every single one.
In his famous psalm, King David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1, ESV).
Did David write this because he simply didn’t have any needs? Or could it be that he knew his needs mattered to God—and trusted his heavenly Father to lavishly meet them?
Today, Holy Spirit is inviting us to have that same confidence.
Instead of ignoring our own needs—or craving things that may not actually be needs—we can open our hands and allow Jesus to satisfy us.
Because he does want to satisfy us today. Let’s listen together…
01.
The Message
“You draw towards what you need. If you are thirsty, you want to drink. If you are hungry, you want to eat. If you are lonely, you want companionship. If you are sad, you want comfort. If you are angry, you want justice. Sometimes this works and feels simple: you know what you need, and you can discern it and pursue it. Knowing what you need and having it available to you feels good.
“But what can be confusing is when you need clarification on what you need. Or when what you think is your need isn't the real need at all. Sometimes you are misreading, misunderstanding, misinterpreting your own need. And how does this happen? Why are you so confused?
“This confusion happens when teachers (people you let influence your life) cloud your vision and distort what is true. The world, you see, is a machine of noise and fear and distraction. It teaches urgency. It teaches fear. It makes you believe what you have is not what you need—and what you need must be something you don't have. It tells you that you will surely be dissatisfied with your life unless you attain that missing thing.
“But consider this: Who are you letting influence you and tell you what you need? What forces are pressing upon you, teaching you to fix what might not need fixing? What other voices are you leaning toward, chasing down, craving wisdom from that is not wisdom? What habits do you have? How are you conditioned so that you can't hear a thing when the deeper places within you cry out for help? These are real questions I am asking you now. I know the answers, but do you?
“You feel your heart's cries but draw toward appeasement rather than real help. You habitually seek a way to cope rather than grab my hand and let me lead you toward the water that will quench your soul's deepest thirst, food that will satiate your hunger.
“Pay attention to my rhythms. Let me caution you, advise you, and offer wisdom that will help shield you from some of life's more avoidable pains. But then, even when the deepest suffering comes, your choosing to be with me, your looking to me for guidance, will bolster you. Let me be your teacher. Stay close to me and receive more than everything you truly need: forgiveness, wholeness, peace, and love.”
02.
Listen
What emotions do you feel after reading this week’s message? Did you feel Holy Spirit touching on a specific area in your life? What do you want to say to him in response?
03.
Think
“Doesn’t your heavenly Father already know the things your bodies require? So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly” (Matthew 6:32b-33, TPT).
1. What needs do you have right now? How are you seeking to satisfy them?
2. How have outside influences impacted how you view your needs? Does that perspective line up with God’s perspective? What feels “off” to you?
3. Where do you crave God’s wisdom and insight? What areas of your life do you need him to speak to?
04.
Trust
Let’s re-read a portion of this week’s message:
“This confusion happens when teachers (people you let influence your life) cloud your vision and distort what is true. … You feel your heart's cries but draw toward appeasement rather than real help. You habitually seek a way to cope rather than grab my hand and let me lead you toward the water that will quench your soul's deepest thirst, food that will satiate your hunger.”
The world can get it wrong when it comes to identifying our needs and giving us solutions. But our heavenly Father, the one who created our bodies and hearts, knows exactly what we’re truly craving and how to satisfy us.
And the best part is, he doesn’t give like a distant, faceless benefactor. Instead, he comes close as a loving, selfless, protective Father. He invites us to tell him, face to face, what we need. And he deeply enjoys answering us in personal ways.
He promises us: “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3, ESV).
So can we practice this today? Can we bring our real needs to God and approach him as a Father we can trust?
Let’s close our eyes, take a deep breath, and exhale slowly as we open our hands. Let’s settle down into this spot, trusting that God is right there with us, listening to us, eager to be with us and to speak to us.
With our hands still outstretched, let’s now tell God about our needs—whether they’re physical, emotional, or spiritual. Big or small, each one matters.
As we share our needs with him, let’s pause every now and then and tell him we trust him to meet that need. Let’s also ask him to show us how he wants to meet that need or how he wants to guide us through our situation.
Did the Lord show you anything during this time of focused prayer, friend? If so, let’s write it down in our journals and pray about it throughout the week—perhaps with a trusted friend.
05.
Pray
Lord, thank you for showing me what I truly need. Help me ignore the world’s false messages of urgency and lack. Focus my attention on your voice, your love, and your acceptance.
Show me where I’ve been trying to meet my needs on my own or in worldly ways. I trust you to satisfy me and guide me. My heart is open to your wisdom—speak to me.
I love you, my Counselor and my Friend. You truly are my everything.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
