Prayer life and results

At Jacob's Well, we're studying how to deal with anxious thinking. This kind of thinking permeates our world today because we are flying around trying to get a thousand things done in 30.5 seconds. Knowing it is impossible, we worry how it will all be done. Most of it is our own fault because we simply overextend ourselves similar to piling mountains on our plate because we are terribly hungry, but knowing we can't possibly eat everything on it.

Other times our anxiety stems from the unknown mountains or valleys with dark corners. How is it that we do not seem to hold onto the complete peace God has given us through the Fruit of the Spirit?

It isn't bad to want to see results of prayer and confirmation of God's working in our lives. Sometimes that is how He comforts us when He instantly says yes to a small thing, so that we will understand that He is definitely working on the BIG things we've been praying about incessantly.

We just cannot know or understand God's ways. We ask, and we receive. Then we ask, and then we receive. It seems to be a results motivated prayer life.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. " Why isn't that enough?

We are told in many different ways, but most clearly through Paul to, "worry over nothing, to pray about everything."

Phi 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.



So the mature Christian should be able to leave everything in God's hands and be comfortable with how He answers our prayers. It is rather difficult to just let go and let God. God showed me in no uncertain terms that His will is done for those who love Him. And sometimes... sometimes He is waiting on us to conform to His desires and to let go of our desires.

It all boils down to Trust. When we know our God has plans not to harm us, but for our good, then there is no way we can go wrong. It's just those trials and painful tribulations, and that dark valley of death that we know we must walk through that gets us all twisted into knots.

Has He ever failed me? Never.

Will He ever fail me? Never.

That must be enough.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD rejoices over you. He will quiet you with His love. Or as The Message puts it,
Your GOD is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.