How much of your personal prayer time is consumed with the "taking" or the asking? Would you say 50% or more? I have to admit when I pray it is 80% my asking that dominates the subject of conversation with the Father. I heard a speaker say that we come to God with a grocery list and go up and down the aisles wanting this, asking this, begging for that. I think that some of that reasoning is OK but not completely accurate.
Some of those folks who complain about us seemingly always coming to God with our lists really have no comprehension of our Father's desire for us to do so. One thing we need to understand is that we cannot understand who God is by judging Him or comparing Him with anything human. When someone comes to us with a long list of topics to discuss, our first reaction is to get tired of hearing all this. Not so with God. We forget our Father's ear. We forget that the very act of us coming to Him with that scroll of a list it showing that we depend on Him. God delights when we depend on Him and not on some other "source." We also tend to forget that He has not only an infinite storehouse of blessings but can sovereignly arrange people, events, actions, etc. to meet our needs.
In defense of that speaker I told you about, a constant running complaining attitude of prayer does not delight God's ears anymore than it would our own. When we pray, it is key to remember that we need to pray "in His will." This simply means that what we ask of Him, it is our desire to have whatever He deems that is best for us rather than having it our own way.
When I think of folks (myself majorly included) who have complained and wanted their own way, I think of Israel. Israel so desired a King they couldn't stand it. God desired the rulers were to be His appointed judges, but after unending complaints they got a King in the person of Saul. Saul was just like any other worldly king, and that was the problem, what they wanted was the very thing that would destroy them, and it did. How much better would we be if we waited on God.
However, briefly back to the point of taking in prayer, look at the butterfly photo above. The bush it is attached to is a "butterfly bush" whose very name is because it attracts and supplies these creatures with good. God is like that bush. He doesn't mind how often we come to take of His Person, Time, Spirit, request needs. He is there for us as the bush is for the butterfly. Not to take Him up on His provisions and good nature is foolishness. Do you have a need today? Sure you do, we all do. Then be glad we have a Heavenly Father WILLING to hear us and being there to help us in place of us making it the best we can on our own. Remember though, God does not respond to our cravings or will overlook things we desire that is not His best for us. We cannot come and treat Him like an ATM machine--push the right buttons and get what I want. We should be so glad of this. We don't always fathom the ends of our own desires, but He does, and answers for our good accordingly.
The Bible says in 1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Let's ask Him right now,
Heavenly Father, thank you for desiring to help me. Thank you I can come to you with my needs knowing that none are too great or too small for your heart. Lord, I desire your will in my need today. My need is _________________ and I am asking you to give the wisdom to know what you want and am asking you to provide a solution for me. May I have faith enough to believe you will answer and bring me the help I need. Thank you in your name. Amen.
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Image by Jon Browning
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