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Your Will Be Done from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

Too many times when we pray, we give God Almighty instructions as if He works for us. It's something I had to learn to stop doing. When you take a moment and think about it, how absurd is it for us to tell Him what to do?

We often see prayer requests like, 'Pray that I get "this" job, this car, or this house!' But the Lord may have something better in mind for you. By that, I mean better for your character development and not necessarily for your comfort.

He once removed my job as a supervisor and replaced it with polishing brass at the minimum wage for one year. Then He gave me my own business. The Lord is far more interested in who you become as a person than what you are doing. He will arrange circumstances to help you develop, and He can promote you anytime He wishes.

We should always pray according to His will and not just ours. Look at what Jesus told His disciples when they asked Him to teach them how to pray:

(Luke 11:1–2 NKJV)  Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

Notice the: "Your will be done." Jesus used this in His own life. For later, when He was praying in the garden, He said this:

(Matthew 26:42 NKJV)  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."

See, Jesus desired one thing but was willing for the Father's will to be the opposite of what He wanted. We should always do likewise. You will find it liberating to not have to make everything work and not have the weight of the world on your shoulders. John wrote it this way:

1 John 5:14 NKJV)  Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

We pray according to His will, and He hears us. For example, we pray for the Lord to give us the job He wants us to have and not for a specific job. He may have better plans for you. So don't limit yourself to your own ideas when you pray. James wrote it this way:

(James 4:13–15 NKJV)  Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

You don't need a lucky break when your help comes from the Lord. He can open the right doors for you, and close the ones you should avoid. Seek a deeper relationship with the Lord, and good things will begin to happen.

(Psalm 37:4 NKJV)  Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

That is the absolute truth. When we delight in the Lord, great things begin to happen in our lives. Yet, too often, we are looking for love in all the wrong places. It is the Lord who gives us the power to get wealth:

(Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV)  "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth..."

As we seek the Lord, everything we need begins to come automatically. Even things we don't yet know about. Jesus said this:

(Matthew 6:31–33 NKJV)  "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

So how are we instructed to get food, drink, and clothing? We first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things come to us automatically. We won't have to worry about them. Isn't that better than struggling in anxiety about what will happen tomorrow? Solomon wrote:

(Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV)  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

It's a beautiful promise. Acknowledge the Lord, include Him in whatever you are doing today, and He will direct your paths. That means "change our course." Also, it is fine to be specific in your prayer request, as a "White Chevy Silverado with a V8." Just don't point at the one your neighbor is driving and say, "I want that one!" Let Him lead you to yours. Also, be flexible. Being He will give you the desires of your heart, you may find that the Chevy was only a passing fad, and deep down, you wanted something else.

Here are some examples of how I like to pray:

Prerequisite: Heavenly Father, please forgive me of the things I have done wrong, fill me with Your Holy Spirit, teach me, and guide me from this day forth. My life is Yours. Please open the doors I should go through and close the doors I should avoid. May Your perfect will be done in my life.

Job: please lead me to the job You have in store for me! Put me where I need to be, and give me the grace to succeed.

Home: please lead me to the home You have for me and make it affordable. I know that You know best, so I am asking You for advice. Please make Your will clear to me.

Vehicle: please help me find the right car and lead me to the one You have for me! Protect me from fast-talking salesmen and help me make the right decision.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: For those who may not have received yesterday's email, we have sent our year-end newsletter, Looking Back at 2021! The newsletter includes a video of some of our life "after hours", which we hope you will enjoy. Be warned: there are a lot of pictures of the puppies :D! We pray you all have a peaceful, fun and very merry Christmas week!