I am not proud of this, but many days my prayers become a list of demands or a to-do list for God.
“God, bless so and so. Help me sleep tonight. I need this cough to go away. Give me patience with the kids. Strengthen my marriage. I need to forgive so and so. Fix our country. Give me wisdom to know how to discipline the boys. Help me show grace to you know who.”
I don’t leave God a lot of room to do what HE wants to do.
Read II Corinthians 12:7-10 silently.
What do you do when God doesn’t answer your prayers?
I’ll be transparent. When God doesn’t answer my prayers in the way I want or when I want, I feel neglected. The silence of unanswered prayer makes wonder if God cares or if He has moved on to someone else.
I wrestle with the Lord’s answer to Paul.
“My grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness.”
I don’t want grace. I want my list taken care of!
But Jesus says that His grace is sufficient for my needs. When He doesn’t answer how I want, it doesn’t mean He has neglected me at all.
It means….
Maybe I already have what I need, which is His grace.
Lord, give me the faith to say, “it is well,” even when I don’t like your answer.