Praying To Get (Luke 19:37-38)

Jesus was entering Jerusalem.  As he rides, the people were casting palms and clothes before him.  Their hearts were rejoicing and their mouths extended words of praise.  At first glance, it seemed as if they were accepting him, but they were not.  They were accepting a person whom they believed would give them what they wanted, but instead, Jesus was bringing to them what they needed.  After being beaten and scourged, it was apparent that their hopes of an earthly king were dashed.  When it was believed that he could not fulfill their expectations, they rejected him.  Many who read this account judge the Jews as foolish for rejecting him.  However before being quick to judge, you may want to search your own heart for similar motives.

How often are your prayers focused on what you want God to do for you?  How often do you pray for a need to be met or an undesirable situation be removed?  Do your prayers continually focus on relief from hurt, pain, trouble or fear?  If so, you may have more in common with those in Jerusalem than you thought.

God did not save us so that we could have him at our disposal, but instead redeemed us so that we may be at his.  It is not wrong to pour out your heart to God and ask for deliverance.  Jesus did the very thing in the garden of Gethsemane, but along with that he coupled his heart's request with submission to his father's divine plan.  If you have been praying for the same trial to be removed or for circumstances in life to change, why not change your request and ask for strength to endure, power in living for a testimony to others or for the trial to prune away that from your life, which hinders you from producing fruit for him.

If you make this change, God will hear and answer.  However if you continue praying in your same manner, you may become discouraged and possibly turn your heart against him in the same way as those in Jerusalem did.  Over the years, I have met countless people who have become angry with God and the similar thread is that they prayed and God did not deliver as expected.  God wants to deliver, but he will do it in his time and manner.  He may deliver you from the trial or he may deliver you through the trial.  Until then, make sure that the requests of your prayers align with his will.  The answer is not praying more or harder, but instead to submit yourself to his will and abide in him.

John 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 

#abide

#trial