Devote yourselves to prayer, be watchful and thankful (Col. 4:2)
We’re one day away from the end of the 30 Day Prayer Challenge. How did you do?
The challenge was to pray expectantly with thanksgiving according to the verse above.
This is what I’ve learned in the process:
* My expectation cannot be in God answering the prayer just as I want.
I tried to pray that way, but whenever I would pray, “Please give L. the job and thank you for giving it to her.” (Even though she applied 5 minutes ago.) When I prayed this way there was a snag in my spirit like a sweater catching on splintered wood. A thread of reservation would come lose. This led me to my next lesson:
* There is peace when my expectation and thankfulness is not focused on the answer but on the goodness of the Answerer. I don’t know if my petition is the best answer, but His answers are always good even when all earthly evidence proves differently.
So my prayer changed: “Thank you Lord for loving L. and opening up the right job at the right time. Thank you for this particular job opportunity. I trust she will get it if that is the best for her. Give her peace and patience. Thank you.”
* There were times when I didn’t know how to pray. I would ask Him. Sometimes it was weeks before I knew how to pray into a situation. The answer was always one word that lingered in my spirit such as “favor” or “mercy”.
Though He has answered some of my prayers in the last 30 days favorably as petitioned, the shift in my prayer life has not been more answered prayers.
The shift has occurred in my heart. More peace. More trust.
What did you learn/experience?
Grace and peace,
andy
