We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Psalm 20:5

Watching another person succeed is often difficult for many people. They get jealous at the idea that someone else succeeded and had things go better for them than for themselves. Most people want to be the one who succeeds or is the best at something, rather than seeing someone else have that spot.

David says that he, and those with him, rejoice at the salvation someone else has and that prays that God will fulfill all of their requests.

The world is completely all about self and what one can get and be. Having this type of mindset is what sin is completely all about. It began with Adam and Eve wanting to taste something they were not to eat and to have knowledge that they were not to have, just so they could be like God.

Inside the church, there are many who also have this same mindset as the world. Someone sees God answering the prayers of someone else and that person gets very jealous. Many struggle at rejoicing at God’s answering another’s prayers because God does not appear to answer their own prayers in the way that they want.

Jealousy is a sin that God hates. Instead of being jealous, believers need to rejoice that God has saved someone else by meeting their need or request. This request may be for the forgiveness of sins to be saved, or it may be to be freed or saved in some other difficult situation in their life. Salvation is being saved from something bad, whether from sin, or some problem in life.

In the same way Jesus petitions the Father for all believers, believers must be willing to petition and rejoice for other believers whose needs are met by God.

At some point in your life God has met a need of yours that you asked Him for help in. During that time you rejoiced. Now when you see another believer get blessed by God and saved in some difficult situation, rejoice and be glad for that person.

Instead of looking only to yourself, look to the needs of others. Pray that God will hear their prayers, meet their needs and rejoice when He does.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will rejoice when God meets the needs of others; that you will seek God for the good of others; that God will help you overcome any jealousy; and that God will also meet all of your needs.

Picture by Todd Trapani on Unsplash