Pray with expectation!

For some reason, the last two days God has prompted me to go back and read some of the very first stuff I wrote in 2006 when I first started keeping a Bible Reading Journal.  The first day I resisted because I wanted to make sure it was God really prompting me.  Today when it happened a second time I complied. 

 

It is interesting to go back and read stuff that I wrote 14+ years ago.  One of the things I noticed is that back when I was writing privately, I would put in funny and sometimes sarcastic comments that I don't put in the stuff that I write for the blog.  Maybe I'll start adding more of that.  We'll see.

 

In my readings today this phrase really popped out at me.  "Pray with expectation!"  It came from reading my notes on Samuel 1.  While this phrase caught my eye, my complete note on the chapter goes a little deeper.

 

"Continue to be faithful to the Lord.  Pray with expectation.  God answers prayer in his time."

Notice the order.  Faithful, pray, God will answer in His time.  Now to be honest I don't know if that was the order that Samuel 1 used or if I just happened to put them in that order. 

What I find interesting about the pattern is that it is the same pattern found elsewhere in Scripture.  We first have to have faith.  Then our actions are an outward manifestation of that inner faith. 

Prayer is an action based on our faith.  Praying demonstrates our faith…or does it?

 

If we don't pray with expectation, are we really demonstrating any faith at all? 

 

The message I took from this was to examine my own prayer life.  Am I always praying with expectation?  Or am I just going through the motions? 

 

I'm sure it isn't just me.  Sometimes we get busy with life and we rush through things.  Life happens.  It is up to us to be on guard and try to minimize those times.  It is hard to do that though when you don't know exactly what it was you are guarding against.

 

That was the case here.  I had felt for awhile that something was missing from my prayer life but I just couldn't put my finger on it.  I had been praying about it for awhile but kind of half heartedly. 

In God's time.  Isn't it interesting that "in God's time", God prompted me to go back and read the notes I made over 14 tears ago to find the answer! 

When I saw the phrase "pray with expectation" I knew instantly that was it!  God is so cool! 

 

Can I get an Amen?