Job 37:24
And so we humans fear God,
because he shows no respect
for those who are proud
and think they know so much.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
There
is often a fine line between asking God to answer our prayers…and
telling Him HOW to answer them. One represents “fear and
respect”…humility and confidence that God knows what He is doing. The
other shows our “know-it-all” side…as if we know better than God how
things ought to turn out in any given situation. Like I said, this is
tricky – and in many circumstances it’s nothing short of a slippery
slope on our part!
How DO we ask God to answer our prayers
without trying to sway Him in a particular direction? One way is to
pray, “LORD…may YOUR will be done – not mine.” Of course, we have to
mean this when we say it – and this is often easier said than done. But
we also must recognize that some of the things we ask for…healing,
protection, a “good outcome”…are open for interpretation – and God may
not deliver as we expected.
When my dad and brother were ill, I
prayed for healing for both of them. And God did heal them and give
them restored bodies – in heaven. I see that clearly now. Was this
what I really asked God to do? Probably not. But I have come to
understand how He orchestrated things even when I was thinking I knew a
little too much. By the time my grandmother was in her last months on
earth and expressing a desire to go Home to Jesus, my prayers were more
humble…”Lord, when You are ready for her, we are ready for you to
take her.” There were days when I asked, “Can’t Mam-ma please come
home?” But even as I asked, I knew better than to try in the least way
to tell God what to do.
I am a slow learner…but I am discovering
that when I ask God for His will in situations and circumstances - and
trust Him to deliver - things go so much better. I don’t mean to imply
that the outcomes are always to my liking…and most certainly, God does
not always answer on my timetable! But God has been so steadfast and
faithful to me. He has blessed me and answered me. He has rescued me and
restored me over and again. And I have grown in my reverence and
respect for Him as a result.
I still have moments when I say,
“Lord, we need a miracle.” But more often when I ask for this, I trust
that God will deliver. I know that this may not come in the form or
time that I expected – but He will deliver! There is a peace and
comfort in this attitude. It can be very liberating not to be a
“know-it-all”…to let go and let God have control.
Are you still
trying to tell God what to do? Will this be the day that you fully
surrender to His will and give Him your complete reverence and respect?
Aren’t you ready to at least give it a shot and see what happens?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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