“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
I was recently asked to nominate a friend of mine for a very prestigious award. I considered it an honor to have been asked to prepare a nomination letter and went into painstaking detail to make a strong argument for his selection. Frankly, I was surprised by my own research, and when I read the other letters of nomination that had been prepared on his behalf, I just couldn’t see how he could lose.
As the hour of decision drew closer, I began to worry. The competition was keen and in all truthfulness, any of the nominees would have made a fine choice. I decided to commit his nomination to prayer. I even asked several of my friends to pray that our friend would win the award. After all, the Bible directs us to commit all matters, big and small, to prayer.
One of my friends agreed to pray about the matter, but said, “I’ll just pray that the Lord will have his way.”
I know that the Lord’s will is perfect. And I am acutely aware that we should pray for the Lord’s will in all matters. That’s why Jesus, said in his own prayer to the Father, “… your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) But isn’t it ok to ask God for something even when you’re not quite sure about where he stands on it?
My relationship with God is much like my relationship with my earthly father. I can remember asking for everything as a child, but my father didn’t always honor my requests.
My relationship with my heavenly father is not all that different. I am his child and I should feel just as comfortable approaching him about anything as I did with my own dad, even about matters that seem so trivial. How can I get to know God if I don’t feel like I can talk to him about everything?
I think the Bible supports this point of view. If God cares about how many hairs I have on my head, then he also cares about the things that matter to me, even when they don’t matter to others. That child-like faith is just as important to prayer as it was to my own salvation.
As I matured, I noticed that my relationship with my dad changed. I instinctively knew how he would respond to my requests. But those instincts grew out of a relationship with him that permitted me to ask him for anything. Our relationship with God is the same way.
My friend is right and so am I. We should always seek God’s will and we should always realize that he is willing to listen as long as we are willing to talk. The psalmist said it another way: “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.” (Psalms 17:6)
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