What Do You Want From God?

If we were to examine the contents of our prayers, we may find that we are always telling

God what we want. Or asking Him for things. And there's nothing wrong with that really. Jesus said we are to ask and we will receive. Matthew 7 : 7. But are we following God only for what He can give us, or do for us? Sadly, some people turn away from God and from the church because they feel disappointed. They are not getting what they hoped for and they go back into the world.

I read this in The Daily Devotional recently: It's not that we do not want God. We want Him - and a house by the lake, an impressive career, a perfect spouse and whatever else catches our fancy. But what we have to remember is that God is all-wise and all-knowing. He knows what we need even before we ask Him (Matthew 6: 8). And in His wisdom and love, He will only give us those things that are good for us, at the right time and in the right amount.

James put it this way: When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (4:3). 

So what do we really need from God? King Solomon prayed for knowledge and wisdom so he could lead the people (2 Chronicles 1 : 10). God replied, "therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have" (1: 12).

If you don't know what to ask God for, pray the Our Father prayer. Here it is:  'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one ' (Matthew 6 : 9 -13).

It has everything we need.

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And speaking of prayer, America is in dire of prayer. This month Southern Baptists are praying daily for this nation state by state.
Please join with us as we pray for Iowa and Kansas and for a spiritual awakening in the nation, that the gospel of Jesus Christ would spread across this land and that people of all ages, races and backgrounds would be drawn to Christ.  

Where Is God?

Have you ever asked yourself that question? If you are like most of us, you have.  But

you are not alone. Other great men and women of the Bible felt that way, and later events proved them wrong.When weeks grow into months and months grow into years and your prayers are not answered, you may despair and think that
God has forgotten you.

Abram wanted an heir, but as he and his wife Sarai grew older and they did not have a child, Abram thought he would have to leave his inheritance to his servant's child. But the Lord said to Abram, "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir" (Genesis 15: 4). 

Abram believed what God told him, but he did not hear from God again, and his wife remained barren. If you know the story, you know what followed. Abram and Sarai became tired of waiting and took matters into their own hands. Sarai gave her maid Hagar to Abram so she could have a child through her. Hagar does become pregnant and has a son whom they call Ishmael. And after all this, God reappears when Abram is ninety-nine years old and his wife, now Sarah, almost ninety and once more tells him that he will have a son,

There are so many lessons in this story about Abraham and Sarah (God changed their names.) During those twenty odd years that they waited for God's promise to be fulfilled they must have asked themselves many times, "Where is God? Why doesn't He answer us?" Abraham and Sarah had a difficult wait, but for many of us, waiting can be painful. If you are ill, in need of a job or have some other pressing problem that doesn't seem to be going away, you may be tempted to give up. Or give in, as Abraham and Sarah did. 

Listen to the complaint of the prophet Habakkuk: "How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?" And he went on and on to complain about the injustices of his day. But what did the Lord say? "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.  For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. -- but the righteous will live by his faith-- (2: 2 - 4).

Let's live by faith. Don't give up and don't give in.

Related articles

• Whose voice are you hearkening to?
• Grace in the Wilderness (Part One)
• God Keeps His Promises!