Be Careful What You Ask For

Sometimes we pray for something with such passion and fervency. But I’m so glad that God overrules our requests at times. Have you ever prayed for something and God said no, only to later say, "Lord, thank You for not answering my prayer in the affirmative"?

At times God will overrule our requests. That is why Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9–10).

Really, what Jesus was saying is that when we bring our requests before God, we can effectively say, "Lord, if this thing I’ve just prayed for is outside of Your will, please overrule it, because You know better than me."

You can ask God for something and plead with Him about something, and He just might give it to you—sometimes to teach you a lesson.

We don’t always know what’s best for us, just like my grandchildren don’t know what’s best for them at times. If they had their way, they would eat candy all day long. But they don’t realize what it would do to them. Adults have to provide some oversight and tell them what they can and can’t do for their own good. In the same way, God will put roadblocks in our paths to stop us from exercising our free will and going in the wrong direction.

Don’t take for granted what God has given you: your husband . . . your wife . . . your children . . . your career . . . your health . . . your church. Don’t say, "I’m tired of this. I want something else." God just may give you what you want—and you may not like it one bit.