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.”

1 John 5:14: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

“What’ll ya have? What’ll ya have? What’ll ya have?” If you are from the Atlanta area, these familiar words exemplify quick service for tasty food from a restaurant steeped in tradition. Unfortunately, many people feel that prayer is like putting in an order for what we want. Yet prayer is most of all about getting to know God and His will for our lives. One of the ways God teaches us His will is by not always giving us what we want. You say, “Well, what’s wrong with getting what I want?” Nothing, if it’s God’s best. But if it’s not, there are always negative consequences, so be careful what you ask for!

Prayer is powerful in allowing us to connect with God. But it’s not at all about God simply saying, “What’ll ya have?” It is about discovering what He wants for our lives.

Perhaps the question should be reversed to, “Lord, what’ll ya have of me?”

James 4:3: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Matthew 26:42: “He (Jesus) went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’”

Stay encouraged, Pastor Larry