Window or Mirror?

We are often struck with a realization that we don’t have what we “want”, and sometimes we even think we don’t have what we need; and at these times we ask the Lord, “Why don’t I have this thing or that thing”?

Though God knows our heart and mind already, He wants us to tell him our innermost thoughts and put upon Him our burdens as we replace our worldly yoke with His mantle of righteousness, but He also desires that we are steadfast in our faith that He will provide.In James 4:2 we read that we do not have because we do not ask, and when we do ask, we ask for the wrong things. In the Lord’s Prayer we see that prayer is intended to work God’s will here on earth, not to get our will done in heaven. We should pray that God’s will is done in our lives, and that He show us our path to His perfect joy. Too many times we pick our own path to “joy” and then pray “God’s will” over that, trying to mold His omnipotent plan for our lives into an earthly form that matches our will.

In James 1:5 we see that we should ask and then be certain that this thing is already done in heaven. It does not matter when it happens here on earth, but we’ve prayed it and we have the faith that it is complete from God’s perspective. Mark Gungor (pastor and speaker) once moved from Stevens Point to Green Bay under immediate and rather harsh conditions. Many months after moving someone asked him, “Has your house in Stevens Point sold”? Mark answered – with a large smile across his face – , “Nope. Sure hasn’t!”. This person was flabbergasted that Mark could be so happy, because he knew that Mark “had” to sell that house soon. He asked Mark, “Why are you so happy? Have you prayed about it?”. Mark said, “Yep! I prayed and that’s why I’m happy. It’s already done!”.

When we read the accounts of various prayers in the Bible, we see many characteristics of effective prayer. The one I’d like to call out is in 1 Kings 18. In this prayer, Elijah is to be the Lord’s tool for ending a drought and proving to the people that our God is the Lord of Hosts and that there are no other gods before Him. To do this, Elijah allows the pagans to do their thing, for a very long time, making fools of themselves and tiring out. Elijah then involves the people in his prayer, even ceremonially rebuilding an altar with stones of the 12 tribes. He then takes an incredibly precious resource (water) and douses the sacrifice and altar so that none can say that a man start the fire. Elijah, knowing he was in the will of the Lord, called upon the Lord in perfect faith that the Lord would prove Himself, and our God burned the altar and its content to the ground. The faith of the people of Israel was strengthened and evil was slaughtered that day.

We have this same power available to us when we know that we are in the will of the Lord. Do you pray to Him every morning? Do you have a relationship with Him that places you in His Spirit and will? Do you talk with Him about everything and do you listen for His voice? If you do, praise the Lord and thank Him today for His mercy and gifts to you. If you do not, start again today and ask Him to begin once again molding you into a vessel for His Spirit.