Praying Expectantly

I have been attending a ladies Bible Study at our church for the past several weeks and this story was told this past week and then I read it again in our homework. Something about it just really struck me  as a reminder of Who is the one in charge. This is an excerpt from “Faithful, Abundant, True” and this section was written by Priscilla Shirer.

We took a trip to New York with my family, my parents, all three of my siblings, our spouses, and our kids. One evening at dinner I noticed that my sister’s husband , Jessie, was ordering a little appetizer as his entree for the second night in a row. Now, some men in some other families might eat lightly, but the guys in my family are big, football-player types who think that anything less that meat and potatoes should be labeled "rabbit food."  they don't eat appetizers unless it's just a preface to the real deal.

So I leaned over to him and asked, “are you not feeling well?”

 He responded, “No, I am feeling fine, but I’ve got a large family with lots of mouths to feed. This restaurant is kind of expensive, so I’m just eating an appetizer and then I’ll go out on the street and get a hot dog from one of the street vendors.”

I looked at him in bewilderment and asked if he’d gotten the memo that our parents had sent via e-mail several days before our trip. It had clearly said that they would cover the bill for dinner each night.

He almost choked on his tiny hors d’oerve. “What? I have been hungry for two days!” He called the waitress over and ordered the biggest steak he could get. It seems that knowing someone with adequate resources had him covered changed his perception of what his options really were.

Knowing God and the resources He’s made available to you will change the way you order, my friend. It changes not only how you pray but what you feel free to ask God for. You will begin to realize that you don’t have to pray small or with reservation. You can ask the Lord for exactly what you desire no matter how outlandish or impossible it may appear to be. Your Father has got you covered, so look at the menu differently.

She later challenged us to conclude our prayers with "God, do this or something better."  

Something to think about.