Ask and you shall receive - not the way you expected?

[water]

I am sure this happens to everybody. Sometimes, we ask God to grant us gifts, and when His grant comes, we have no clue it has come. We keep searching and searching and asking God how come we asked and you do not answer. I bet it happening right now to most of us.

For examples:

Do we ever ask God to help us have a gift of being meek and humble? What God might allow things happen to us then?
– we meet people that would talk down on you.

Do we ever pray God to make you a peace maker?
– the next thing, He’ll send us to those who would make us fight and argue.

Becoming a meek and humble, peace maker, poor in spirit, etc…person is not something that we would have right away. It takes time and God will help us achieve it.

Do we ever ask to be poor in spirit?
– then, the next thing happens to us is we lose our jobs.

Are those gifts happening to you the way you want/expect?
– it might not be, but sometimes that is the way how God grants you the gifts. He gives tests in order to make you become like Him - and things won’t happen over night.

God bless.

 

[tkdnick]

I had a great example of this while on pilgrimage in Rome. I had been praying for humility and patience, particularly one day. Well, that very day was BY FAR the most frustrating day of the entire trip. I just about flipped a lid on more than 1 occasion. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that I realized God had given the opportunity to be patient and I completely blew it!

 

[water]

As a child learns to walk, he falls down some times - but that is part of learning how to walk. This is the same thing with our journey.

Thanks tkdnick for sharing.

 

[Deidre]

I am sure this happens to everybody. Sometimes, we ask God to grant us gifts, and when His grant comes, we have no clue it has come. We keep searching and searching and asking God how come we asked and you do not answer. I bet it happening right now to most of us.

For examples:

Do we ever ask God to help us have a gift of being meek and humble? What God might allow things happen to us then?
– we meet people that would talk down on you.

Do we ever pray God to make you a peace maker?
– the next thing, He’ll send us to those who would make us fight and argue.

Becoming a meek and humble, peace maker, poor in spirit, etc…person is not something that we would have right away. It takes time and God will help us achieve it.

Do we ever ask to be poor in spirit?
– then, the next thing happens to us is we lose our jobs.

Are those gifts happening to you the way you want/expect?
– it might not be, but sometimes that is the way how God grants you the gifts. He gives tests in order to make you become like Him - and things won’t happen over night.

God bless.

Nice post, Water!

Once I asked God to teach me how to love as He loves.

He put an impossible personality in my life. A personality of somebody who I couldn’t walk away from under any circumstance. Then one time I found myself praying and asking God to change this person! I wasn’t fully conscious of it at the time, but I was asking Him to change this person - so he would be easier for me to love!

And then I felt God say “Ah, but you wanted me to teach you how to love as I love! I love you right where you are - before the change, through the change and after the change!”

That was a real eye opener for me! And I think it also helps me to understand why He waits before He answers our prayers at times. Sometimes, I think we’re just not prepared or strong enough to handle His answers, so He first prepares our heart and then answers the prayer!

 

[water]

And then I felt God say “Ah, but you wanted me to teach you how to love as I love! I love you right where you are - before the change, through the change and after the change!”

ah huh, that is truly Him.

He put an impossible personality in my life. A personality of somebody who I couldn’t walk away from under any circumstance.

Now, you might look back and say…how could I be without this “imposible personality”? Would I receive what I ask for without the person?

 

[Deidre]

Now, you might look back and say…how could I be without this “imposible personality”? Would I receive what I ask for without the person?

No Way! I would have walked away and kept my distance from any other person in the world who treated me like this person did! God knew exactly who to use.

There’s no getting around it! God knows what He’s doing!

 

[Cari]

I had a great example of this while on pilgrimage in Rome. I had been praying for humility and patience, particularly one day. Well, that very day was BY FAR the most frustrating day of the entire trip. I just about flipped a lid on more than 1 occasion. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that I realized God had given the opportunity to be patient and I completely blew it!

Heehee…this is EXACTLY why I try to always avoid asking God to help me become more patient. No way!

I’ve found that God is definately a “hands on” teacher. No workbooks and multiple-choice tests there!

I do, every night ask Him to help me become a better wife and mother. Now, if I can trace the source of my children’s mischeviousness to the answer to this prayer…well, then…

 

[jmcrae]

I do, every night ask Him to help me become a better wife and mother. Now, if I can trace the source of my children’s mischeviousness to the answer to this prayer…well, then…

If it were easy, you wouldn’t get good at it.

As for me, I am praying to God for the grace to manage my millions wisely …

 

[sawman]

I am sure this happens to everybody. Sometimes, we ask God to grant us gifts, and when His grant comes, we have no clue it has come. We keep searching and searching and asking God how come we asked and you do not answer. I bet it happening right now to most of us.

For examples:

Do we ever ask God to help us have a gift of being meek and humble? What God might allow things happen to us then?
– we meet people that would talk down on you.

Do we ever pray God to make you a peace maker?
– the next thing, He’ll send us to those who would make us fight and argue.

Becoming a meek and humble, peace maker, poor in spirit, etc…person is not something that we would have right away. It takes time and God will help us achieve it.

Do we ever ask to be poor in spirit?
– then, the next thing happens to us is we lose our jobs.

Are those gifts happening to you the way you want/expect?
– it might not be, but sometimes that is the way how God grants you the gifts. He gives tests in order to make you become like Him - and things won’t happen over night.

God bless.

Dear water,
I am currently under going an increase in devotion and find that as I started my recent change in prayer habits, praying longer and with more attention, I have noticed the benefits of drawing near to Him, have no bearing on what my particular intentions were.

Praying for work, desperatly, has drawn me deeper into Him and started changing me in ways that i had no idea I’d be bargaining for. I’ve even started to thank Him for this very difficult situation because i doubt seriously that I’d ever have come to Him this ardently otherwise. Thanks be to Him!

 

[water]

Dear water,
I am currently under going an increase in devotion and find that as I started my recent change in prayer habits, praying longer and with more attention, I have noticed the benefits of drawing near to Him, have no bearing on what my particular intentions were.

Praying for work, desperatly, has drawn me deeper into Him and started changing me in ways that i had no idea I’d be bargaining for. I’ve even started to thank Him for this very difficult situation because i doubt seriously that I’d ever have come to Him this ardently otherwise. Thanks be to Him!

Thank you sawman for sharing this with us. I once prayed for work too (and still praying ) but the first time I ever really prayed for work is to have a job where I could praise and worship Him. He granted it. Before this, I always prayed for myself and did not think of Him.