As most of you know, I try to make the focus of these devotionals to be on prayer. I came across a quote this week that prompted me to think about how I pray. “All I know is that when I pray, coincidences happen; and when I don’t pray, they don’t happen.” (Dan Hayes) Sort of makes me wonder if I am praying about and for the right things. Coincidences? That’s what they are? When God does something that I was totally not expecting, is that a coincidence? I was prompted to think that perhaps I might not be praying correctly. There are all kinds of preachers, teachers, and authors out there who tell us to “name it and claim it.” You tell God what you want and then work up enough faith to literally be able to claim it as it is going to be answered the way that you desire. I believe that you can “name it and claim it” if what you are claiming is “not my will, but Your will be done.” If that is what you are claiming, then you are spot on. Unfortunately, that is not what is taught.
I was thinking about that earlier quote and the only thing that makes them coincidences is the fact that my will and desires were not in line with the will and desires of God. And it just so happens that it worked out for the good and thereby it is declared a “coincidence.” I was then reminded of Psalm 5:1-3 where we once again find David praying:
“Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for You and watch.” (ESV)
The last part of verse 3 in the NIV reads this way: “…in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation.”
David sounds like he is in trouble, in fact, there are a lot of psalms where David sounds like he is in trouble. He speaks of groaning, and I have often taught that God understands groaning perfectly. C.H. Spurgeon said “groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.” It is interesting to know that God does understand groaning perfectly well. David goes on to speak of the sound of his cry. in prayer to God. He needs help! He needs comfort! He needs to be rescued! It is almost as though there is a shift in verse 3 when David says in the morning You, God, hear my voice and in the morning I lay my requests before You. Sounds like a pretty good plan. God, You listen, and I will give You my list. Is that what David is saying here? It could be understood that way, but I tend to think that this was a pattern is David’s life. He was not giving orders to God; he was rehearsing their routine together. It is almost as if David is saying God, it’s me again. I know that you are listening because You always listen. And because I know that You are listening, I am going to do what I always do because I am so needy and weak and worn out; I am going to give You my list. Don’t miss the really cool part of this passage. David finishes with “…and wait in expectation.” Does that sound a little presumptuous, or does that sound like it is coming from someone who knows his God? Does it sound like someone who is new at this, or does it sound like someone who has been here before? David does not know what the answers to his prayers will be, but he does know the God who he is talking to, and he knows that that same God loves him and always does what is right at just the right time. Therefore David could pray with expectancy. David trusts God! He has observed His faithfulness first hand in the past and he has no reason to think that He will not remain faithful today or tomorrow for that matter. Every day David prayed and every day he expected God to do what was right and best, regardless of what David himself thought.
Don’t be surprised when God does something. Amazed? Sure! But always expect God to do something and He will never disappoint you. You very well might not understand what He does, but you can rest assured that He always does what is right. This challenge is not new to us today. You should remember that in Acts 12 Peter is in jail and the disciples are “earnestly praying to God for him.” (v.5) When the angel answered their prayer and freed him from prison, he came to where they were praying. They were praying, earnestly, and when the girl who answered the knocking on the door told them that it was Peter, the one who they were praying for, they told the girl that she was crazy. When I read that, it makes me laugh, and yet I often times am guilty of the exact same thing. God is so good and kind and patient.
I look forward to us praying together and rejoicing at how we see the hand of God at work. Let’s pray with expectancy knowing that God does hear us. I close with a quote from Charles Finney:
“Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other’s hearts in prayer.”
Why not join us tonight at 6:30?