1 John 5:14-15—And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.
God is not a slot machine. This is what I tell my kids as they are learning to pray. They actually tend to think of prayer as a wish—yes, they even call it wishing sometimes. The thing is, lately, I have started to notice how many adults I know who also go to God as if He is a slot-machine. There is a disturbing movement toward praying specific prayers that seems to condone focusing on and praying for all that we want without much regard for what God wants. To give you an example, a neighbor of mine (who was a Christian missionary) once boasted that she had spent years praying for the exact house she was living in. She had drawn pictures and made lists of every feature, down to the paint color and shelving in the pantry, and that one day God had answered her prayer. To be sure, God is able to answer prayers like that. But all I kept thinking as she spoke was, “Why in the world would you want to limit God’s plans for you?” God has said, “I know the plans I have for you.” Scripture also tells us that God knows our hearts and we can approach Him with just sounds and moans and He will know what we need. Certainly, there are benefits to praying specific prayers. After all, the more specific our conversations with God are, the deeper our relationship can plunge. On the other hand, if we are so specific in what we ask that we bind God’s hands or seek to limit His Will for us, our specificity removes intimacy with the Holy Spirit. In the end, we just might get what we ask for instead of the true blessings God had planned.
Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, consider making a list of those things you frequently pray about. Shift your focus from what you want by asking God what He wants in your life. Relinquish control over these matters and ask God to take up those matters and resolve them in His perfect way. Listen for His Voice to speak to you and guide you. Pray that you would grow in understanding the Spirit of the Lord so that any requests you make are first inspired by the Holy Spirit and not by your human flesh. Rejoice in His Name and give Him praise for all He has done and will do.
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