Pray Expectantly

I pray. I pray before my meals either alone or out loud with friends, I pray before I go to sleep at night, I pray throughout the day when I think of something I want to converse with the big man about, I pray all throughout a competition…you get the picture. But sometimes it’s not about if you pray, it’s about how you pray. And this is an area I know I can improve upon. In fact, we are going through this exact subject in church right now (shout out to The Rock Church!) and I have found it to be very enlightening. When you pray about specific things in your life, you also must believe and trust that he will answer those prayers. Sometimes that’s the hard part…believing he hears you and that he will answer. That’s faith. Sometimes I feel like I just throw it up there and then I hope… kind of like crossing my fingers that God is able and willing to do things in my life. But, duh…he’s God. Why in the world would I sell him short?!

Lately I feel like I’ve been having a lot of prayers answered and it’s just made me feel extremely blessed. And I think it’s important to give credit where credit is due. Sometimes things happen in such a precise and detailed way that you absolutely know it was an answer to prayer. The stars only align when He tells them to. So every time I wonder how I will possibly pay the bills next month and a check arrives two days later, or I need a place to live and someone graciously opens their home, or I’m told my best years as an athlete may be behind me and I make a team after nine years of trying, or my knee suddenly has no pain after multiple doctors tell me another surgery is the only option…my list can go on and on but you get the point. He heard me and He answered.

God is real. He still has a few other of my prayer items he’s up there working on (i.e. my husband!), but I know and am constantly reminded to expect that he is working on my behalf to fulfill my needs and give me the desires of my heart. (According to his will, of course.) Today I just wanted to share that with you and I’ll leave you with a verse my best friend shared with me the other day…

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.