The Secret

Last night at our women's group at church, we talked about prayer and petition.  Can we ask God what for what we want?  Can we bring everything before Him?  Do we get on God's nerves if that is all we do, present a list of our "needs"?

The speaker concluded that we can ask God for things, but we must be praying "in Jesus' name". That simply means that we are praying in His will.  If I ask for a trip to Cuba or a brand new car, I'm pretty sure that is not in God's will for me, but as I start to pray in Jesus' name, then my prayers start to change.  Then I'm starting to sense what might be a more godly desire.  As my will starts to line up with God's will, my prayers start to be answered as I'm praying the prayers that He wants me to pray.

We've been praying to be debt-free for a long time.  God could have answered that in one second if He had wanted to.  That continues to be my prayer and I am pretty sure that it would bring God more glory to have us debt-free than in debt, however, because it is taking waaaaay longer than I would have planned, I've started to notice my prayers are changing.  I've seen that He has got a much bigger plan for me.  He's been teaching us many lessons along the way that we would never have learned with an immediate out-of-debt response.  So, I've had to change my prayers.

Now, I thank Him, for everything, that He's not answering my prayers (the way I first imagined), that He is teaching me so many amazing lessons, that He's proving Himself faithful, that He's got a plan that I don't understand....I continue to ask Him for a miracle, that prayer hasn't stopped or changed, but I've added that element of thankfulness.  Philippians 4:6 says, "...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Paul talks about the "secret" of being content in verse 12:  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  We can continue to pray for the things we desire, but as we pray for them we simultaneously surrender our rights to them.  Then we are content, no matter which way God chooses to answer.  The struggle doesn't mean we don't have faith.  It is part of the process of learning to surrender.

Therefore, as I said, I still pray for the miracle of being debt-free one day, but I surrender my timing and even the possibility it may not happen in my lifetime.  I can be content either way as I rest in His will for my life.