Years ago, a young man was staying with a group of believers. He had messed up his life in a major way. He was hurting, behind, and desperately needed a word from God to get his life back on track.
His friends took him to a church service, hoping for a divine breakthrough. During the meeting, the pastor did something remarkable. He walked right off the platform and stood directly in front of this young man.
The pastor began to speak with incredible precision. He was “reading the man’s mail,” as we say in the ministry. Without knowing a single detail about the young man’s history, the pastor gave him the exact answers he needed. He was describing the man’s situation and telling him exactly what to do. It was a life-changing moment. God was handing him the specific keys to his future.
But right at that moment, a small commotion happened in the back of the room. It was nothing important—just a minor, silly distraction. Instead of listening to the life-saving words being spoken directly to his face, the young man turned around. He focused on the “nothing” happening behind him. By the time he turned back to the pastor, the moment was over. The pastor had moved on.
He missed his miracle because he wasn’t “hooked up” or “plugged in.” The enemy is a master of distraction. He wants to keep you from staying “plugged in” long enough to receive the revelation that changes everything.
Having awilling heart is the secret. It is the spiritual frequency that keeps you tuned in so you don’t miss these divine keys.
Key Takeaways
• Motive over Method: God isn’t checking your chores; He is checking your desire. A right action with a wrong heart is a “zero” in the spirit.
• The Tuning Analogy: Willingness is like the FM band on a radio. You can’t hear God’s specific “FM” revelation if you are still stuck on the “AM” band of duty and necessity.
• Legal Rights: God is already willing to move. He is just waiting for your willingness to give Him the legal entry point to show Himself strong in your situation.
What Is a Willing Heart?
God does not look at things the way people do. We look at the outside. We look at how people dress, how they talk, and whether they follow a list of rules. But God looks straight at the heart.
In the Bible, we see a fascinating contrast between two kings. Their stories show us the “mechanics” of how God evaluates our lives.
King Asa and King Amaziah show us the difference between “doing” and “wanting.” God is more interested in your motive than your method.
| King Asa | King Amaziah | |
|---|---|---|
| Actions | Made mistakes (he failed to remove the “high places”). | He did what was right in the sight of the Lord. |
| Heart Condition | His heart was “perfect” all his days. | He did right, but NOT with a perfect heart. |
| The Verdict | God saw his heart was 100% toward Him. | His actions were correct, but his motive was dead. |
A “perfect heart” doesn’t mean you never make a mistake. It means you are wholehearted toward God. King Asa messed up. He left some religious clutter in the land that should have been cleared out. Yet, God called him perfect. Why? Because his intent was pure.
On the flip side, King Amaziah checked all the boxes. He did the right things. But he did them without a perfect heart. Maybe he did them because he felt he had to, or because he wanted people to notice.
To God, doing the right thing with a wrong heart is unacceptable. God is a heart-knower. He looks at your thoughts and your intentions.
Why Your “Want To” Matters More Than Your “Do”
God is not a “cowboy.” A cowboy gets behind the herd and drives the cattle with a prod. He forces them to move where they don’t want to go.
God is a Shepherd. A shepherd leads. He walks in front and calls to the sheep. They follow him because they know his voice and they want to follow.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” – John 10:27 (NKJV)
If you do something “grudgingly” or “out of necessity,” the action is unblessable. Think about tithing. Some people tithe like they are paying off the mafia for “protection.” They write the check because they are afraid that if they don’t, their car will break down or their cat will die.
Is that acceptable to God? No. God doesn’t want “grudge money.” He doesn’t want “have-to” service. If you are dragging your feet, God says, “Sit down.” He would rather you not do it at all than do it with a heart that says, “What a weariness this is!”
The willing heart is what makes a gift or a work acceptable. When you move from “having to” to “delighting to,” you qualify for a different level of blessing. God loves a “cheerful” giver—the word actually means someone who is prompt to do it.
When you are willing, you aren’t waiting to be pushed. You are looking for the opportunity to jump in.
Eating the Good of the Land (Isaiah 1:19)
The Bible makes a bold promise in Isaiah 1:19:
“If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” – (NKJV)
“The good of the land” refers to the top-shelf stuff. It means the best health, the best provision, and the best life available.
Many people have been fed “religious junk” that suggests God wants His people to have leftovers. They think being “sold out” means being “wore out.” Let’s look at the truth:
• Myth: God wants you to be poor to keep you humble.
• Fact: God says the willing and obedient eat the good of the land, not the scraps.
• Myth: You should be happy with the “used” and the “broken.”
• Fact: God has “top-shelf” blessings for His children to use for His glory.
• Myth: Real commitment means “laying down with lepers” and having nothing.
• Fact: God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants.
To eat the good of the land, you must be BOTH willing (heart) and obedient (action). You can be obedient without being willing—that’s just dead religious duty. You can be willing without being obedient—that’s just a nice thought that never gets done. Neither one works alone. You need the heart and the act to hit the target.
Is God Waiting on You or Are You Waiting on God?
In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we learn about God’s “Divine Scanner.” The Bible says His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth. He is scanning. He isn’t scanning for religious titles or big bank accounts. He is scanning for a heart that is perfect toward Him.
Imagine God scanning right now across Russia, China, Europe, Africa, South America, North America, the Bay Area, and your neighborhood. He is looking for a “blip” on the radar. What causes a blip? A heart that is fully, 100% willing to do whatever He asks.
We often spend our lives waiting for God to “get willing” to move. We beg Him for a miracle, hoping He will finally decide to help us. But God is already willing! He has been willing for centuries. He is waiting for us to get willing.
There are legalities involved in faith. God has given us a free will. He won’t force Himself into our lives. When His scanner finds a willing heart, it gives Him the legal right to show Himself strong. Your willingness creates the entry point for His power to manifest. As the scripture says:
“Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” – Psalm 110:3 (KJV)
The High Cost of “Keeping Back” (Ananias and Sapphira)
In Acts 5:1-11, we see a sobering story about Ananias and Sapphira. In the early church, people were so willing that they were selling houses and land to meet everyone’s needs.
Ananias and Sapphira saw the honor and recognition people like Barnabas received for their generosity. They wanted that “blip” on the radar, but they didn’t want the heart condition that came with it.
They sold a property and brought a portion of the money to the apostles. However, they pretended they were giving the full amount. Their sin wasn’t that they kept some of the money—the money was theirs. Their sin was feigned willingness. They were trying to look wholehearted while they were actually drawing back in their hearts.
They were “keeping back.” This is a dangerous spiritual state. When you “snuff” at the things of God or treat His service like a burden, you are in trouble.
If you find yourself saying, “Oh, I have to go to church again,” or “I have to give again,” you are drawing back. You are treating the holy things of God as trivial.
God is looking for people who see His service as a high honor, not a chore.
How to Get Your Heart Willing: 3 Practical Steps
What if you realize your heart is stubborn? What if you just don’t feel like doing what God is asking? You don’t have to stay that way. You can “will to be willing.” Your will is a choice, not a feeling.
Step 1: Pray the “Willingness Prayers”
Ask God to change your “want to.” You don’t have to fix your heart by yourself. Philippians 2:13 says,
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” – (KJV)
You should also pray the prayer from Hebrews 13:20-21:
“Now the God of peace… make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ.” – (KJV)
Step 2: Change Your Words
Stop saying “I have to.” Stop saying “This is a burden.” Your mouth leads your heart. Align your speech with Psalm 40:8:
“I delight to do Your will, O God.” – (KJV)
Even if you don’t feel it yet, say it. Say it until the “want to” rises up and swallows up the “have to.”
Step 3: Check Your Vision (The Airplane Vision)
You have to see yourself doing God’s will before you can successfully do it. Think of this like “Airplane Vision.”
When God first dealt with Bro Keith Moore about having an airplane for the ministry, he had to “work on the vision.”
At first, he tried to see it in his heart, but the “wings wouldn’t fit.” Then he’d look, and the “tail was too high.” He’d look in the cockpit, and he saw other famous ministers in the seat. He didn’t see himself. He had to meditate on the Word until the vision was right. He had to look until He saw himself in that seat, pushing the throttles forward.
You must see yourself successfully doing exactly what He asked before the willingness becomes “alltogether” in you.
Conclusion: Choosing the Best
God is scanning the earth today. He isn’t looking for the most talented person, the most educated person, or the person with the most money. He is looking for a “blip” on His radar—a heart that is fully, 100% in.
Are you “almost persuaded” like King Agrippa (Acts 26:28), or are you “alltogether” committed? Don’t let the distractions of this life—the “commotions in the back of the room”—keep you from hearing the life-changing words God is speaking to you right now.
Make a fresh commitment today to move from “necessity” to “delight.”
Next Steps: Take a moment right now and pray. Use the words from Hebrews 13:21. Ask God to work in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.
God’s scanner is running to and fro across your city right now. Make sure His radar picks up a blip of willingness in your heart today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Why does God allow bad things to happen in our country?
A. God does not cause destruction. It is never His will for people to suffer. However, there are legalities in the spirit. When a people or a nation pushes God away for years—saying “We don’t want You in our schools, our homes, or our government”—they are rejecting His direction. You cannot reject God’s correction and still expect His protection. He is a Good Shepherd who leads; He will not force His protection where He has been pushed out.
Q. Can I make mistakes and still have a “perfect heart”?
A. Yes! This is the best news you’ll hear today. King Asa made several mistakes. He failed to remove the high places and he had some lapses in judgment. Yet God said his heart was “perfect all his days.” Why? Because his desire was to please God. If you mess up while trying your best to serve Him, God sees the intent. He looks at your “want to” more than your stumble.
Q. Does God want me to be poor to keep me humble?
A. No. That is “religious junk.” God needs you to have the best tools to advance the Gospel. If you are a businessman, He wants you to have the best resources. If you are a mother, He wants you to have the best provision for your children. Isaiah 1:19 says the willing and obedient eat the good of the land. God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants (Psalm 35:27).
Q. What if I don’t feel willing to do what God is asking?
A. Willingness is a choice, not a feeling. You can “will to be willing.” Tell the Lord, “Lord, my flesh doesn’t want to do this, but I choose to be willing. Work in me both to will and to do Your good pleasure.” As you align your choice with His, your feelings will eventually catch up.
Q. Does God force His will on us?
A. Never. God is not a cowboy who drives cattle; He is a Shepherd who leads. He prompts, He calls, and He leads by His Spirit. But He respects the free will He gave you. He is waiting for you to become willing so He can manifest His power in your life.
