How come when we come to God we don't tend to be specific? Or if we are specific....we honestly don't think God is going to answer the prayer. Let me give an example.
I was pregnant with baby #3. Three car seats would not possibly fit in our little Mitsubishi. (neither did my 6'4" hubby for that matter) So we needed a larger vehicle. Badly. Medical bills from pregnancy complications had us stretched completely thin. We were also interviewing at a church that would later become our church. Faith Baptist Church
So we had no money, and we really did not want to get into a car payment after working so hard to pay off our other car debt.
So I started praying for a van. A free van to be exact. And one day in my prayer I mentioned, "Lord, I would even take Bonnie Williams van. It doesn't need to be fancy. We just need the space." A couple of days later I got a call.
It was Bonnie. She had bought a new van. And they were giving us theirs. I had not told Bonnie about my prayer. As I cried and gasped in shock, I told her hysterically ...... I PRAYED FOR YOUR VAN!! She burst out in laughter and said "You should have prayed for a nicer van!"
We still have that van. It has 213,000 miles on it. It has a dent with duct tape on the side and stickers all over the interior widows. (for once it was not my kids) Four years later that old van is still running.
God provided exactly what I asked for. I have never forgotten it. If you read John 14-16 you will see Christ say over and over again, "If you ask anything in my name, I will give it to you."
I won't expound on how you have to ask in the Father's will and how you need to be focused on his desires and not your own. But my point is this. God desires to give us good things. He wants to give us exactly what we need. He is sitting there waiting for us to JUST ASK. "You have not because you ask not!"
You think I would have learned this lesson because of the van situation. But I still find myself shocked every time God answers a very specific prayer. Last year around this time I asked God to send 2 families to our church that had children. I asked him to send complete families with godly men, who would maybe eventually be able to step up into leadership in our church. My children had been alone almost the whole 3 years since we had started this revitalization and I was praying they would have friends. I also desired to see the church grow and to have Godly men to help my husband lead and serve.
This week we got an email. A second family is planning on joining our church. The first family had 4 children. The second has 3. God is good. He hears, he cares, he desires to see his church built. I should have prayed for 10! :)
So that is my prayer for this year. That God will help us win 10 new converts to Christ that we are able to disciple and plug into our church. I know he can do it. I can't wait to see who he leads our direction. And I am going to work to be faithful in praying for these people and sharing the gospel as much as possible.
What are you praying for specifically? What prayers has God answered for you? Are you making God's name great in all the earth? Let me know what you are praying for...and lets see what great things God can do for his children!
