Ever feel like you are doing all the ‘right’ things, saying all the ‘right’ words, feeling all the ‘right’ feelings, and praying to God for all the ‘right’ answers; Yet your not getting what you are praying for?
You find yourself working until 2 am (fulfilling your labor), drinking filtered spring water (your body is a temple), while snacking on your $3.99 a pound organic apple (let food be thy medicine), yet you cannot find success in your personal life or business?
Seriously God? What’s taking so long?
We all find ourselves at a point in our lives where we are looking for a change. Looking for someone to stretch out their hand and give us a lifeline, a net, for example. Do you think Peter knew that a miracle was about to unfold when Jesus said to him in John 21:6, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some [fish].”? Of course not. (And let’s be honest, if a random man, dressed in dry clothes, appeared on my boat while I was fishing, i’d be a little hesitant myself.) But the proof is not in Jesus’s words, but in the proof of his words that made Peter a believer. “When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish”.
I know what you are thinking, “Oh please, not another analogy, that is irrelevant to how I am feeling right now…(rolls eyes)”…but hear me out. Have you ever applied prayer in a way that changes what you are expecting into what God is expecting of you?
Believe it or not, God expects a lot from his followers. He expects us to live with peace. He expects us to be restored in his words. He expects us to aspire to be more than we have ever asked for. He expects us to yearn for him. He expects us to engage with his teachings. And he also expects us to build a relationship with him.
Yes, He expects it. You know why? Because He will never bless you with anything more than what you expect of yourself.
Oh, you were expecting some God bashing session that allows us to dwell on our failures and blame Him, rather than look past the fail and see it for what it really is? Not today my friend. And now that I have your unbridled attention, let get into why we are both here.
Why do you pray?
Do you pray because it is expected of you? Do you pray because Pastor Steven tells you to? Or do you pray because you believe that “Ask and you shall receive” is just a playful metaphor that Christians hashtag on twitter?
Let’s be honest, we all pray for those three reasons. Yes, even me. But let me blow your mind for a minute. Remember that 5th paragraph you read and said to yourself “Yeah, whatever. God can expect all he wants, but until I start seeing some results, this kid is on his own”. Think about those words again, just for a minute.
Peace.
Restore.
Aspire.
Yearn.
Engage.
Relate.
P R A Y E R.
That’s all He wants. To have Peace in our hearts, to Restore our souls, Aspire to be the person He knows you can be, Yearn for his presence, Engage yourself in His words, and build a Relationship with him.
Imagine applying those six words to your life, to your prayers, to your expectations; I suspect something just may change. Don’t you?
Better Health, Better Life 