Wednesday, May 30, 2012

God doesn't answer "multiple choice" prayers

God doesn't answer "multiple choice" prayers.  Well that is to say He will answer the prayer, but it likely will not be one of the answers you had given Him to choose from.  This seems like a reasonable thing to say and I suspect most people would agree without even realizing that they themselves often give God a "multiple choice" prayer.

So could you be doing this without even knowing it?  Think about your prayers and the possible answers you are expecting.  Are they the kind of things God The Father would say?  Lets just put it in more simple terms.  Are they even the types of answers your father would give?  Okay, lets pretend your dad knows what you are talking about. My kids would tell you that is a stretch, but lets pretend.  Say for example you pray for an answer on what car to buy?  Would your father tell you Ford, Chevy, or Lexus or would he go on and on in excruciating detail about fuel economy, mechanical reliability, proper maintenance, and your budget.  And if your my kids you may also hear more than a few words about the good value of an old Volkswagen.  Now God may or may not have a preference for old VWs but He surely has little concern for the difference between Ford and Chevy (as hard as that is for some guys to hear.)

The point I am making, while rambling on in dad like fashion, is just like any dad, your Father in Heaven has certain things He is more concerned with and His answers tend to be centered around those things.  To better hear the answers to your prayers, get to know your Father a little better and listen for the kind of things He would say.