Remember when your children were little (or maybe you remember doing this when you were a child) and they really, really wanted something? They would come to you with their little child scrunched up face and their little child voice and say “Please, please, please, can I have that!!!” And maybe they would even scrunch up their arms and bodies so you would know that they were really serious when they said “I HAVE to have that!!” They were so excited and earnest that you just couldn’t resist their little child enthusiasm. So you said yes. And when you said “Yes,” the joy on their faces made your heart melt.
Last week I thought of that child-like excitement when I wanted something ~ I really wanted to go to the Florida Gators game in Gainesville. I didn’t mind making the drive but I didn’t have a ticket and the game was sold out. So I thought about praying for it. But, to be honest, I felt a little selfish asking for something so, well, insignificant. And when I thought of all the things going on in the world around me, it sort of felt like I was bothering God. But I really wanted to go.
So on Wednesday as I was on my knees praying, for some reason I started thinking about that little child who asks so enthusiastically for something she really wants. And I wondered if God wants us to ask for things with that type of excitement and enthuasism. So, in the privacy of my own bedroom, I scrunched up my face and arms and with child-like excitement I asked God if He would please get me a ticket to the game. After I prayed, I felt a little silly. But I also waited in excited anticipation for what God could do. I knew the game was sold out. But I also knew that if it was ok with God for me to go to the game, then He could do all sorts of things to make it happen. So I trusted that if it was ok with Him, then He would find a way.
Well, at about 4:00 that day, I got a text message from my friend, Faith saying “I have a ticket sitting beside me. Can you come?” And, honestly, it brought tears to my eyes because I knew that God had seen my child-like excitement and had answered my request. And for just a moment, I could almost feel His hand patting my head and hear Him chuckle at my enthusiasm. And right there in my office I yelled “Hooo-hooooo!!!” then thanked Him for such a wonderful gift. And on my way home from work that day, I just got so overwhelmed at God’s kindness that I cried some more. And I thanked Him again and again. I was so touched by His gift.
I’ve been thinking about prayer a lot lately. I’ve been wondering how many of us don’t pray for certain things because we don’t want to be disappointment when we don’t get what we ask for? How many of us don’t ask because we don’t think God gives us what we want ~ only what we ask for others? I fear that a lot of Christians think that being a Christian means that we have to always be sad and burdened. That being a Christian means that we don’t get to be happy. But God really does want to bless us. The Bible is full of Scriptures that tell of God’s love and blessings to His children. Ezekiel 34:26 say:
"I will bless them and the places surrounding My hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing."
I wonder how many times we don’t ask God for something because deep down, in the deepest, secret places in our heart, we don’t really believe that He can do what we ask of Him. Maybe we ask but we really aren’t sure that He can pull it off. Over and over the Bible tells us to believe God and to believe that He can do all things. James 1:6 says:
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind.”
In 2004 my mother was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. The doctors told us that there was nothing they could do and that she had six to eight weeks to live. We were devastated. And so I started praying. I prayed that my mother wouldn’t go blind. I prayed that she wouldn’t be scared. I prayed that she wouldn’t be in pain and that she wouldn’t suffer. I prayed non-stop for all of these things. And God answered every one of these prayers. None of these horrible things happen to my mother as the doctors predicted they would.
It wasn’t until about three years ago that I realized that of all the things I asked God for concerning my mother, I never once asked Him to heal her. Not once. It broke my heart when I realized that I had taken the doctor’s word for it when he said that there was nothing that could be done for my mother. It never even occurred to me to ask God to heal her. I think that I didn’t ask because I didn’t really think that He could or that He would heal her. And I didn’t want to be disappointment if she didn’t get better.
When my mother was diagnosed, I remember praying, “Let Your will be done, Father.” I wonder how many times we really don’t expect God to grant our requests so we pray for His will to be done to sort of give Him an “out.” I wonder how many times we don’t ask because we feel like we don’t deserve a blessing from Him. I wonder if we don’t ask because we really don’t believe He can. So we ask for everything but what we really want. And then we say “Let Your will be done.”
Now I’m not suggesting that we don’t want God’s will to be done. We absolutely do want to be in God’s perfect will for our lives. But I wonder how many times we put God in a box and try to tie His hands just because we’re afraid to ask.
Coming to the realization that I didn’t pray for healing for my mother was a cold slap in the face to me. And I determined from that moment on that I will always go boldly to my Father’s feet when I have a request. Whatever I pray for I always pray with unashamed boldness. When I’m praying for someone who is sick, I pray for complete healing. When I pray for a family that is falling apart, I pray for complete reconciliation. And when I ask, I fully expect and believe that God can do what I’m asking Him.
Does this mean that God gives us everything we ask for? Absolutely not. God has very, very good reasons for not giving us everything. But when I pray boldly and with complete belief that God can do all things, I know that if He does not grant my request then it truly is His will. And I know that when I don’t get what I asked for, it wasn’t because I didn’t even ask or because I didn’t think He heard me. Or, worse, because I didn’t believe that He could do what I asked. When my prayer isn’t granted, I know that it’s not because I was afraid to ask but because God has a very good reason.
I think a lot of people don’t ask God for something because they don’t want the disappointment of not getting it. But I would rather ask and wait in excited anticipation for God to show up in a big way. I ask then watch Him at work. I get so excited just thinking about the ways He will reveal Himself. Even if I don’t get exactly what I ask for, I know that God will do something amazing. And I get giddy with excitement just thinking about it.
How about you? Why haven’t you gone to God with confidence and boldness? What is it that you are holding back from God because you are afraid you don’t deserve it? What do you want to ask from God but you really don’t think He can do it? Go ahead, ask Him. You may be amazed at the way He will answer you.
Remember: “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:5-6
Precious Father, give us the courage to pray boldly. Help us to know that You want so much to hear from us and that You want to bless us in ways that we can’t even imagine. Please comfort us when Your answer is “No.” Help us to know that if our requests are not granted, then You have something much better for us and that it is because You love us. Thank You, Father, for hearing our prayers. I am so glad that You find pleasure in our child-like enthusiasm. I hope we never lose our child-like excitement and enthusiasm for You. We thank you in advance for answering our prayers. I cannot wait to see what You do next. Amen. ~robin
1 comment:
Made me cry. Super job. I like feeling like a child and crawling into His lap and asking Him for my stuff even if it is trivial He always hears. It is me though who doesn't listen. Why is that? He has to remain silent until I finally realize how amazingly grateful I am. Boy I am glad I have a Savior and He sees Jesus instead of me. He is so very very sweet.
Post a Comment