Monday

Ask With the Right Attitude

God wants to direct you in life, but two things need to line up: You have to ask the right person - God, and you have to ask with the right attitude - in faith, expecting an answer.

Have you ever asked God for something and didn't expect to get it? That's why you didn't get it. God works in our lives according to faith. So many times we say, "God, please guide me!" and we walk away not even waiting for guidance. We just immediately start to work. We say, "God, I want you to give me wisdom, help me make the right decision." But we don't really expect Him to do that. We think it all depends on us.

God has promised to give us wisdom, if we will ask. Wisdom is seeing life from God's point of view. Wisdom is the ability to make decisions the way God makes decisions.

Think about this: God never makes a bad decision. He never makes a mistake. He says if we trust Him and listen to Him, He will guide us. But we must ask in faith.

We can't just ask anything to God and just walk away doing something else. We require to speak to him with faith. You can't just go up and say, "Hey, can I have a good mark on my math test?" and just walk away, not expecting an answer. We have to show him that we fully trust him, and we are expecting a response from him. Then he will grant us the thing we want. One time, I lost something that was really important, and I begged God for me to find the object. I was continuously thinking about it, hoping with my fullest to find it. And God granted my wish, as I found it during night time. So, if you want him to have your wish granted, you must ask him with faith, then he will grant you what you want.

Having faith in God branches off into so many different things, and is more important than we might think. Although we may ask God for certain things to happen or talk to him about something, we cannot expect Him to do exactly what we want if we don't even take the opportunity to listen to Him. One thing I learned from experience is that God ALWAYS answers you, it may not be a direct answer, and it may not be an instant answer, but He still answers us. Just because He doesn't give us what we ask or want doesn't mean He didn't answer, because no is an answer too. With that being said, don't expect that just because you have strong faith and that you listen to Him, that He will listen to you and answer all of your questions and desires. God has made a plan for you, and everything that happens in your life, the struggles and the joys, happens for a reason. Have faith and trust in Him, for He will guide you to the right path in life ad make all of your crooked lines straight.
                  

I always remind myself whenever I ask God for something:
Don't ask for something and expect to get it.
Some will ask and will not take "no" for answer. God knows where your heart will go and will prevent you from doing some things because he knows what's best.
On the other hand, be open to God and prepare for whatever he has planned for you. When given a task from God, it is up to us if we are going to accept and carry it out.
Sometimes I doubt and have hesitance, but throughout time I've realized that hesitation will take you no where and it is important to trust that God knows what he is doing. He would never do anything to intentionally hurt you.
So it really depends on us what you choose to do and path you will go down.

Don't expect to always get what you want. Like a father to a child, the adult knows what the kid wants but sometimes can't let them get what they ask for. It does not make sense to the child since they are so young, and that's why we need to be understanding.

~Audrey~

The key point in this devo is that all too often we say prayers without truly believing that God has the power or willingness to answer the prayer. We often forget to listen and expect an answer from God, leading to prayers that ask with the wrong attitude. One of Sam's theology classes focused on prayer, and one of the most common things Christians forget to do is to listen for God's answer, most of the time we pray at God instead of to God, meaning that we form a one-way conversation instead of truly listening for what God has to say too. To pray with the right attitude, we have to have faith in God, that he has the power to answer them, and that he answers.

This devotional reminded me of the salvation that was given to us from God. We didn't deserve salvation, we didn't do anything that would constitute us worthy of it, we were never perfect for it , and we would never lead a life that was deserving of The Son of God to die on the cross for our sins. But the only reason we had this beautiful exchange was because God loved us. God loved us infinitely and unconditionally. It's unfathomable how amazing this Love really is.
I think it could also apply to this devotional through how we pray that God will work in our lives, and yet contradict this our prayers by subconsciously or consciously thinking it depends on us to allow for a situation to change. This causes us to drop our faith, and we begin to rely on ourselves. In the big picture, we're essentially powerless, unless we have God. We pray that God will take control, then immediately grab it back again. I've done this a countless amount of times, and each time I wondered if God just didn't listen to my prayers. But now I know that I am in blame for trying to do what God was suppose to do. I think personally, ultimate surrender is very difficult to achieve. Surrender gives everything to God, and makes sure that we put our complete faith and trust in Him. But nobody said that complete surrender to The God of the Universe was impossible.
I also seem to get really mad at people who are so ignorant. I get mad because they can't see something that is so blatantly obvious, which frustrates me. But then, I catch myself and think, "How many things am I being ignorant to"? I get mad at ignorant people but then something reminds me I'm undoubtedly one of them. God may see that I am completely oblivious to something so explicit but I  look it over, whether it's intentionally or unintentionally. This kind of keeps me grounded because it reminds me that I don't have the most perfect view/perception of people and essentially, the world. I think that's why it's imperative for one to pray for wisdom. We may never see the world through how God sees it, but that's what we should be striving for. We have a lot of ignorance ourselves to overcome.

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
James 1:5 (ESV)

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
James 3:17 (ESV)

22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Matthew 21:22 (ESV)

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)