What do you expect? - In His Word 1/11/16


 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  Mark 11:23-25

What do you expect? - In His Word 1/11/16
When we pray we should pray with an expectation that God will not only hear us but that He will indeed answer us. Whether it is a prayer for a heart felt need or a prayer of thanks or direction God will listen to our prayers. How do I know? It says so; in His Word! In Jeremiah 33:3 The Lord God tells us to call to Him and He will answer us and tell us things we do not  yet know.
He thinks about out need and our desires; we know this because in Jeremiah 29 He tells us in no uncertain words. If we know that He hears our prayers then we should know that He will certainly answer our prayers.

 What can we expect when we pray?


 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13

The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.  The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Psalm 145:1416


When we pray do we expect the answer? Or do we expect to have to work out our own answer? I have heard many of people try to do it the selves and then crying when things did not work out; when they should have had faith in God to do the work.
 I believe we are to wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He will strengthen our hearts. So why do I worry when I have prayed for God to use me in a mighty way? Why do wonder and want to give up when I reach adversity in the path I know He has given me to walk? What do I expect God to do when I give up?

A man end prayed and asked God for a new job, he then went out and applied everywhere but forgot to ask God when he got a couple of responses which one he should take. He went with the one he thought would be the most fun and ended up being in debt because he could not keep the finances up with the salary of the fun job.

Then there was Sue, she prayed and waited for God to reply with the answer for a new car. She then offered up praise to Him and thanked Him for the blessing and began offering people who did not have a car trips to the store. Each time her car had an issue she would fix it with little or no financial drain.  She had faith to wait.

If we are supposed to expect something from God, we need to be patient and to wait for his response. We have to have hope, and we have to have faith that God will do what He promises.
His Word, our Bibles are full of promises. If you are praying for a physical thing it is best you be sure it lines up with the Words He spoke. If you pray for a car, do not think you will get a fancy car but trust that He will give you one that He can use through you.
I think what I am finding out in studying on the Word ‘expectancy’ is that it comes with a needed faith in God for things to happen.
It’s not about me, its all about Him. That is scary!
When we work to improve our spiritual or physical lives;  trying  hard to be good is difficult on our own but with God on our side we can walk the walk the way He wants us to, if we have faith.
Hope is expecting that God will do something; faith is, knowing He is, and that He will.

I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Psalm 118:5-6 
When we have faith like a mustard seed we can believe for anything and know God is able and will do what He promised. Now this one is amazing but in Mark 11 we are told that if we had enough faith to believe for it God would move the very mountain we told to move! That is a lot of faith! Sometimes I think I have that much when I see the ladies show up at conferences, or the kids at vbs that were not signed up a week before the events. We work hard to plan the events and order for the numbers we are trusting God for, or so we say, then when it gets close and we are short of people we tend to worry a bit. At least until we remember God is in control! We can trust God for events, we an trust God for healing and we can trust Him to have our backs at all times.
He said it right there, when we pray believe, expect to receive what we prayed for and it will come to be! In Jesus name!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you gave us faith to move mountains, help us to have the faith to heal our loved ones, and the hope to see the growth you have planned for us this year, in Jesus name, amen.

Suggested reading: Psalm 17:1-15, Jeremiah 33:1-26, Mark 11:1-33, and Psalm 145:1-25