"You are my longing, Lord."

Psalm 20 (21) "You have granted him his heart's desire; you have not refused the prayer of his lips."
"May the Lord answer in time of trial; may the Lord grant all your prayers." When we engage with God in prayer for release from whatever troubles us, be it our own or perhaps someone else's problem, what is the answer we seek? Or are we simply looking and expecting deliverance? The difficulty with this approach to prayer - expecting what we want - is the tendency to discount what God wants in the matter. Hard as it may sometimes be to accept, the temptation or trial whatever it may be is still a fact of life. Unless we can change it ourselves, can we not assume God most likely has something to do with the matter.
"Apart from sin", Augustine said, "whatever you have comes from him".
Our prayer, like everything else that is "us", comes from God: all our longing is God. Any reluctance to acknowledge this, that God does indeed have "something to do with it", evidences our basic unbelief, our lack of faith; part of the evil that exists the world is the absence of real faith stemming from the human heart. "Your will be done" simply comes to mean, "my will be done".
In another psalm "a man who trusts in the Lord" turns his prayer into a "Lament", an expression of deep-felt sorrow: "how long, O lord, will you forget me? How long must I bear grief in my soul, this sorrow in my heart day and night?" Where are you, God? he seems to be asking.
But prayer is not only about grief or sorrow. It is also about rejoicing. "May we ring out our joy at your victory and rejoice in the name of our God." Rejoicing and praising God, regardless of circumstances and despite the way he felt in his heart (often moved to bitter tears and anger), the psalmist discovered the truth that "praise is fitting for loyal hearts"; "I will thank my God", or "I will love you, Lord, my strength", are typical responses to the goodness of God. Praise is the universal balm that consoles the soul. God is good.
Our faith is continually put to the test: "tried as silver is tried" ("silver" in Scripture, incidentally, is a symbol of faith), and God does not withhold his love in any circumstance. God's goodness reaches to the humble of heart; the over-confident need not be so sure.
"Knowledge" of God is our reward for this faithfulness: in simplicity, in sharing the sufferings as well as the joys of others. Peace.
Lord, God, you are all I want.
You are with all, for all, and in all.
You are all my desiring, as well:
living, acting, praying, prompting, sustaining.
You are near me so long as I am near you.
Draw near, my soul, draw near.