I thought, perhaps, praying for marriage (even a specific person), a specific job, a house, and things alike might not be the will of God, since it is what I want after all. However, as I have observed the prayers in the book of Psalms I see that the prayer for our desires must be accompanied with a desire for the Lord to truly be glorified. If our prayers for our desires are so that we might praise his mighty name and rejoice in him, then they are in accordance with his will and we can be more sure of his hearing them. My favorite example is in Psalm 35:27-28, “Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!’ Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.” David prays for deliverance, not just so he may praise the Lord, but also the people of the Lord may see His work and praise Him too. When the Lord gives us our desires he is glorified because it gives many the opportunity to see his favor in our lives and praise him for his goodness and steadfast love.
Now, I pray for things considering all the ways God can be glorified in answering my prayer and am much more hopeful he will answer. In fact, I have already seen him begin to answer my prayer for a job! I pray he might give me this specific job, which I desire, but as I continue to pray in this way, I find my focus has shifted to his glory and away from my desires. He has yet to change any of my desires, but instead has turned my eyes to him once again so that my hope and enjoyment is in him alone and not the blessing. I thank the Lord that he opens his hands and satisfies the desire of every living thing (Ps. 145:16) and that when we desire not his will, he works in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him," (Psalm 22:22-24).