When you need something, do you ask for it and expect to get it?
Little kids sure aren’t afraid to ask for what they want, and they totally expect to get it!
They will ask and ask and ask and ask and ask and…
When we need someone to do something, we ask and expect action, right?
Do you have the same boldness with God when you need or want something?
God isn’t surprised by our requests and we shouldn’t be surprised when God answers them.
Years ago, when I was a Mary Kay consultant, I was taught to be shocked when someone didn’t buy the skin care, not when they did.
You didn’t want to be like,
Me: How’s your skin feel?
Customer: Great!
Me: Would you like it to feel that way every day?
Customer: Yes, I want it all!
Me: Really?…
STOP THE PRESS!!!
I interrupt the writing of this blog to bring you a real-life God story.
I struggled this week with what to write about for this BLOG. Usually I know at the beginning of the week and have it done by Tuesday.
Not this week. This week my mind was as blank as the look you get from your kid when you ask what they learned in school today…nothing.
Wednesday came rolling around and by the evening I was sitting at the table just staring at the computer, flipping through some notes I had written down over the past few days…nothing.
So I started praying.
You know the prayer, “Dear Lord please help me!”
Then He gave me the thought of prayer. Do a BLOG about prayer.
Ok, so I started looking up verses that talked about prayer and writing down the thoughts that you just read up above.
This next part may be hard to believe, but I got distracted and left what I was doing. By the time I came back to the computer I was tired and ready for bed.
When I woke up Thursday morning and sat down to read my devotion, my jaw literally dropped open.
The title of devotion was, “Do You Really Expect God to Answer Your Prayers?” – what the what??!!!
I know our God is real and I know He speaks to me all the time, but this was like, “HELLO! DO YOU NEED ME TO WRITE IT FOR YOU??!!”
I sat there and laughed and cried all at the same time.
I had an incredible, warm, safe and amazing feeling come over me. To think that God cares about This Is The Day enough to speak so clearly to me about what He wants me to share with you all – I am in awe.
So…
All of this to simply ask the question, do you really expect God to answer your prayers?
If you pray for rain, do you bring an umbrella with you?
If you pray for a better relationship with your spouse, do you smile the next time you see them?
If you pray for a way to minister to others, do you look up from your phone long enough to see them?
If you pray for a new opportunity, do you answer the phone even though you don’t recognize the number calling?
“In the morning Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” Psalm 5:3
Don’t be so hardened by the world that you don’t expect God to follow through.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
If you are reading this and find yourself rolling your eyes because you don’t think God answers your prayers, I want to encourage you to start a prayer journal. Start writing down your request as well as what ends up happening to them.
Remember, don’t acted surprised when you find out that God has answered them all!