"Be Careful What You Pray For"
My grandmother would tell me often, “Tommy, be careful what you pray for, because you just might get it.” My child-like mind didn’t comprehend the wisdom of those words then. Prayer at that age was much like asking God for stuff, the way I would ask my dad for pocket change to ride my bike to the corner store for a cold soft drink.
“Dear God, I need a new bicycle tire… I want a puppy… I need some new shoes… I saw this fire truck at the store, and I sure could use one of those!”
Maybe God heard a few of those prayers, but I wonder how much they did for Him? Even today, our prayers have tones of self-interests beyond the realm of seeking His perfect will for our lives. What is God’s perfect plan/will for us? Has the heavenly Father created us so that we may always approach Him with our hand out, looking for a quick fix to our perceived needs?
Indeed, God has a plan for His creation and the human race is at the top of the order. He has placed us in a position of authority over the earth and all that is therein. We are in partnership with Him to perfect the work that He began in the Garden of Eden, which means, at times, we must set aside our needs, desires, and wishes, and seek the mind of God to learn what He thinks and wants. He sees the big picture while we tend to stumble over that which is right in front of us for the moment.
The Children of Israel were in the wilderness to learn how to become God’s chosen people. Jehovah provided food for them every day, and gave them strict guidelines for gathering it. But the “rabble” began to complain to Moses that they wanted meat to eat. Prayer was offered to God in order to change the menu, and God sent quail into the camp. Jehovah heard their prayer and answered it. “But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.” (Numbers 11:33)
“So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them.” Psalm 106:15
Beloved, our mission in prayer should be first to listen! Hear the voice of God, ask Him what He wants for us. Knowing His perfect will for our lives removes the need for self-centered requests. When my heart and God’s heart are as one, the stuff will be provided in His perfect time. I would rather live my life in poverty than to pray for riches and miss the vast wealth that comes from knowing the mind of God in all things.
I leave you with this thought: Authentic prayer is the spiritual manifestation of man’s perfect union with the heart, mind and soul of God.
Be careful what you pray for… you just might get it
Tommy Harrison
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