Expecting

Be honest, when you come to the Lord in prayer, what do you expect to happen?  Has prayer just become mechanical because you have prayed so many times for the same request and have not received it so you have given up believing that it will ever happen?  Do you just keep going through the motions because it has become just a habit, sort of like spinning your wheels? Mechanical prayers are not what the Lord is looking for and isn’t something that we should get in the habit of doing!  

I know that many of us fall into that trap, including me, but read what God’s Word says about this in James 1:5-8, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

What we miss many times is that when we ask for something we need to ask in faith and expectation, without doubting, if we expect our request to be answered.  

God’s Word says this in Hebrews 4:14-16, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Read what the Lord said about asking seeking and knocking in Matthew 7:7-12, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Jesus is teaching persistence here, this takes faith, focus and a non-compromising attitude.  We must not to give up like some do after a few mechanical efforts to find God or get their request answered.  If you continue to seek God, you will eventually be rewarded along with your prayer request, if you ask in faith.  Faith is what God is looking for whenever we seek Him for any reason.

Read the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’”

Don’t give up and don’t give in to doubt, just keep expecting God to move by praying whatever you know to be the will of God and stand on His promises, along with faith, and receive the answers that you are looking for.  Something to think about and may you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours abundantly!!  Don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!