God answers more of my prayers these days with a “yes.” But not because I’ve achieved some holy status or anything. Believe me. He more often answers with a “yes” because my prayers have changed.
I used to pray things like “CHANGE HIM (or her), Lord! Please! Or I may lose my mind!” But the more I spent time with God gleaning from His Word, the more He changed my heart and my desires. And the more He changed my desires to line up with His desires, the more my prayers transformed.
Instead of praying out of fear or selfishness, I started praying more in line with His will. I started to say things like, “God glorify Yourself through me. If this situation or person never changes, change me and use me to reflect Your love.” Or, “Be glorified in this relationship, in Your time and Your way. I trust You, Lord, with the details of working that out.” And you know what? He always answers those kinds of prayers with a “yes.”
God does promise to give His followers what they ask for. But typically those promises have conditions attached. “Delight yourself in The Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) The condition? Delight in Him. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7) The condition? Abide.
When we seek Him first and foremost — delighting in Him and abiding in His Word — our desires transform. And when our desires transform, our prayers transform. And when we pray according to His will, His response is always “yes!” In His time and in His way, “yes.”
Today the book club is talking about chapter 9 of To Walk or Stay, the chapter on prayer. Click here to head over to Erika Dawson’s blog to read and/or join in on the discussion.
