Be Careful What You Ask God for, You Just Might Get it

Be Careful What You Ask God for, You Just Might Get it

Can you remember a time when you were desperately trying to get God to answer a specific prayer request you had?  I want you to think back to a time when, perhaps, you wanted a new job, a new vehicle, a new boss at work, more money, health for yourself or a loved one, or just anything that you sought God out for this prayer.  Perhaps you prayed daily for this one thing that you wanted from God.   Perhaps this is one of those prayers that God didn’t answer yet, or His answer was a no.  I want you to be thinking about that time as we navigate through God’s word today.  I want you to see firsthand what it looks like when God gives you what you want, even if it’s not for your best interest.  We all think that, what we are asking for, will greatly benefit our lives tenfold, but, are you sure that it will indeed improve your life?  Are you sure that what you have asked of God is actually what you need, or is it merely what you want?  Are you looking at the bigger picture or are you so focused on the immediate, you have blinded yourself with this desire?   Are you trying to build your kingdom, or His?   Keep these questions in mind as we look at God’s word in I Samuel Chapter 8, beginning in with verse one.

(Read I Samuel 8:1-22)

What did Israel want?  How did they ask God for their petition?  What was God’s response to them?

I feel this is the heart of every asking man, woman, and child on this earth.  Asking God for something, without properly taking the time to seek God’s will for their life, rather asking God for what they want, in that moment.  Are you asking God for something right now?  Have you spent long hours and time praying over this petition, seeking God’s will first, or your own will be satisfied?  My aim is to rewire our minds into thinking that, our prayers and petitions, might not be honoring to God, after all, His ways are not our ways (Isa 55:8).  Garth Brooks wrote a song in the late 90’s “Unanswered prayers”, in which he tells a story of how he desired to be with his high school sweetheart.  He begged God to make her, his.  God not only denied this prayer, God also showed him why he denied him this request.  The story goes, after many years, both were married to different spouses and meet up after a local high school football game.  It was at this very moment that “Garth Books” realized that his life was great NOW, and how his longing to be married to his high school sweetheart was not God’s design for his life.  It was upon this revelation that he was truly grateful for what God was doing in his life.  He was no longer blinded by the past, rather he thanked God for not answering that prayer, so many years ago.

Are you looking ahead, or caught up in this moment?  Will God give you over to your desires, or would you rather Him be the captain of your ship?  Israel wanted a king, not just any king, they wanted someone to make them look like every other nation under the sun.  This was not God’s design for them (Lev 20:26/Num23:9), however, He gave them over to their desires.  Israel was about to learn a lesson they would not soon forget.  Have we (America) become a nation that is too quick to ask God for something, yet is too slow to listen to His reply and to wait for His response?  God has a plan for us, both individually and collectively as a nation.  This plan is for us to be holy and separate for the world.  Israel wanted to be like the world and it caused them to learn the hard way, it caused them great grief.

Today, my prayer is for God to allow you to see that your ways are not always what is best for your life.  If you are to follow Him, it requires a deeper, slower, intentional thought process before we petition Him for our wants and needs.   After all, He gave us EVERYTHING in His Son’s birth, life, death, and resurrection.  If you want your life to model God’s design, you must be willing to be the clay, and let the potter have His way!

²⁴    The Lord bless you and keep you;

²⁵    the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

²⁶    the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. ^[1]

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Nu 6:24–26). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.