Prayers Without Expectations

Carolyn Evans

Darroll and I went to a conference recently. On our way home, I was driving and thinking about finding a restaurant. I saw a billboard that advertised a cafeteria where we used to eat years ago. It was one of my favorite places to eat. It wasn’t far, but you had to get off the interstate we were on and get on another interstate. Nothing is worth getting on and off two interstates if you don’t have to. So I talked to God in my mind and asked him if he could arrange for the same type of cafeteria to be on the interstate we were on. Then I started thinking, God would know we would be coming back from the convention on this date and encourage someone to build the cafeteria so it would be in the right place. Then I said to God, nothing is too difficult for you to do.

I continued driving for a short distance and spotted a sign that told what restaurants we on the next exit. One of the restaurants was one we ate at every now and then. It had been a while since we had eaten at this restaurant, so I asked my husband if he wanted to eat there and he said it would be fine. We stopped and enjoyed our meal and got back on the road.

Then at the next exit I couldn’t believe my eyes. Your right, the cafeteria I had asked God about was there. I couldn’t wait two minutes on God. I solved the problem myself and took second best when God wanted me to have the desire of my heart. You might think I am really being silly about such a small thing, but if we don’t depend on God for the small things, will we depend on him for the important things. God is always there, not just in certain situations, in all situations.

I started thinking about the time when King Herod arrested Peter and an angel of the Lord appeared in the cell and released him. He went to Mary’s home where many people had gathered and were praying for him. A servant girl went to the door and recognized Peter’s voice, but in her excitement, she didn’t open the door. She ran to tell the people in the house that Peter was at the door. They said she was out of her mind because they knew he was in prison. Have things changed that much today. Do we pray expecting God to answer our prayers? Sometimes when we pray, we not only ask God for something, we give God instructions on how he is to answer a specific prayer.

I decided God was not capable of answering my prayer so I gave up too soon. I had to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness. When you make a mistake God is always there to forgive you. We need to let God be God. It’s a lot easier to let God work things out instead of us trying to do things on our own.

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