Recently, in Young Life Leadership discussions and in my own reading, I had been learning more and more about how to pray and about what to pray and about what it means to petition God for things. John 15:7 (NIV) tells us, in words directly from Jesus's lips, to pray expectantly, that we may know we will receive that of which we ask God: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." I've been reading daily in the devotional Voices of the Faithful, and in Beth Moore's introduction to March -- a month devoted to the theme of prayer -- she adopts this attitude.
"Many of us are making God's will harder to find than it is. If we have an active relationship with God and expose our hearts and minds fairly regularly to God's Word, our prayers are very often going to fall within the bounds of God's will... In other words, the words of God work dramatically to conform our desires to the will of God. That's what the Psalmist meant when he told us that if we'd delight ourselves in God, we'd receive the desires of our hearts (Ps. 37:4). The more God overtakes our passions and fills our minds with His words, the more readily we can pray and have what we desire."I think Beth Moore has understood this lesson correctly: that our heart's desires and petitions to God will be in line with God's own desires and plans for our lives if we are in faithful communion with Him.
Eugene Peterson interpreted Jesus's words in John 15 this way in The Message:
"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're adjoined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is -- when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples."This week, I wondered, am I maturing? Where is the proof in the pudding? Where is the proof of my beliefs? Is the harvest abundant? I can talk of my faith all I want, but have I given God the opportunity to show me how my faith lives? I returned to this conversation of expectancy in prayer, and I thought, shouldn't I have this attitude ALL the time?
So yesterday, as I was driving home from work, knowing I was going to go directly to my mailbox to check if I'd received any other responses from potential supporters of the TeachOverseas ministry, I prayed specifically that I would hear from a particular couple. They are the parents of an old friend, and I knew their support -- in prayer, in spirit, and possibly in finances -- was something that would really encourage me and help arm me in the Spirit for the battle ahead. I prayed, Lord, please show me that [this couple is] on board with this ministry. Please give me their support, and show it to me today. You are all-powerful, and I know this is not beyond you.
I ran some errands and then drove back to my apartment, pulled into the drive, got my mailbox key, and checked the box immediately to find two TeachOverseas responses, including one from this couple from whom I'd just prayed for a response! In their envelope was an incredibly encouraging letter, a promise of daily prayer support, and a check in addition!
Wow, God is good. He holds steadfastly to His promises that He will be there for us in our needs, however big or small. He desires us to cling to Him, not only because He cherishes relationship and knows how much better it makes life for us, but also so we can be sure that, if we're "at home" with Him, then we can be sure to "ask whatever [we] want and it will be done for [us]" (John 15:7, Message & CSB).
Yesterday, when my prayer was answered, I know God was showing me both His power and His intimacy in my life. I don't know how exactly it happened. Perhaps because my heart was at home with God's desires, he granted my request by having the couple's letter ready for me. Or, perhaps the Holy Spirit was already at work within me, and It caused me to think of this particular couple when I prayed, knowing their letter was waiting for me at home. Either way, it was an extraordinary act of God, and a wonderful gesture of affirmation.
So what then is my response to God, here? God, please, continue to show me Your Glory in marvelous, magnificent ways -- throughout this process with TeachOverseas and my whole life through. Now that I've seen it, I certainly don't ever want this intimacy and its promise to ever, ever escape me.
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