I am so glad that God doesn’t give me everything that I ask Him for. I have learned to be careful for what I pray for. I have learned through the years, the more I strive to be like Christ, the storms will rage.
I was talking to someone the other day and the statement was made that all they wanted was more faith. I realized that they did not know nor did they understand what they were asking for. The only way to obtain more faith is to obtain strong faith. To obtain strong faith is to endure great trials. My faith has been strengthened by standing firm in the middle of severe testing. It’s trusting God, when all else fails. It’s standing on a solid foundation, when you feel that your legs can’t stand any longer. It’s when you are holding on to hope, when you feel absolutely hopeless. When you are going through your great afflictions, your very soul is producing your strongest faith. “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:3)
BE VERY CAREFUL FOR WHAT YOU PRAY FOR!
When you pray that you want to be like Jesus, guess what happens. God takes you to the School of Humbleness. At this school, you will go through many trials that will teach you humbleness. You may be demoted on your job, or re-assign in ministry at church to a lowly or lower position, or maybe in an accident that you can’t do what you used to do. You want to be humble, God will put you through the “humble test”.
BE CAREFUL FOR WHAT YOU PRAY FOR!
You pray for strength, spiritual strength, guess what happens. God takes you to the School of Spiritual Strength. There you may encounter someone that God sent to torment you. Day-in and day out, they become a severe thorn in your life. They become your nightmare, the problem producers, that person that thrives on pushing your buttons.
BE CAREFUL FOR WHAT YOU PRAY FOR!
You pray to God, to allow you to love people more. You want to have the attitude of Jesus, when it comes to love. God doesn’t send you to regular school on this one. Oh, no! He sends you to college. You are now enrolled in The University of the Unlovable. You prayed for love, but God sends you suffering instead. He sends some of the most unlovable people knocking at your door. Remember, love suffers long and love is kind, love does not envy, love is not puffed-up and love does not misbehave. It’s in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
BE CAREFUL FOR WHAT YOU PRAY FOR!
When you pray for patience, guess what happens. God will enroll you into an advanced degree program with a Masters in Tribulations. You pray for patience and God sends those things that tasks you with disasters and adversity, to the utmost. Remember, tribulation works patience.
Yes, you must be careful for what you pray for. God’s greatest gifts come through travail. “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance…” (Romans 5:3).
While going through great travail, you discover that as you travel through the journey of trials and tribulations, it brought about streets paved with trouble, hardships, stress, drudgery, ordeals, privation, and efforts with many tears.
These are the afflictions you must bear to be more “Christ-like”. We are burdened with great pain, but our greatest “gain” comes through our greatest pain.
Yes, you have to be very careful about what you pray for.