A Little Self Reflection Never Hurt

As we ended our last discussion we looked at how we are using prayer. Are you only approaching God when it benefits you? Are you only praying when you have a need, and forgetting God after you’ve received it? Or, are you using this blessing as an opportunity to grow your relationship with the big guy upstairs? The theme to this discussion is why our prayers seemed to go unanswered at times. Today we are going to look in the mirror and ask ourselves why are we worthy of our prayers being answered, are we deserving of what we ask for?

I ask this because at times we forget that God has laid out his desires for mankind, and asks for only one thing in life…obedience. There is nothing in this world we can give God that he doesn’t have or hasn’t created. The only things that bring him joy are obedience, love, and respect. As parents isn’t this our true hearts desire. We crave for them to listen to our rules, respect our authority in their lives, and grow up to live a lifestyle reflecting the morals we’ve tried to instill in their hearts.

When our children listen, do we not crave to reward them in life? When my son eats like a good boy and decides not to throw his food like a boomerang around the dinning room I often find myself looking on with joy, thinking of how much I love him and how cute he looks. On the other hand when I look over and see spaghetti on our walls I tend to feel like punting him like a football, not that I would…wink..wink.

I challenge you to reflect on your personal walk with God and ask yourself…what kind of child have I been for him? Have you been the kind of child that brings him joy, the kind of child that when hearing your voice his heart is filled with excitement? On the other hand, are you the child that refuses to listen to what he asks? Or….have you chosen to worship God ala cart style, picking and choosing what to listen to according to what best fits your desires. Now not every child is perfect and even the best will fall short of their parents expectations every once in a while, but where do you fit?

"I will go to church, I will read my bible, I will pray every night….BUT…I will still choose to sleep around, maybe catch a little buzz once in a while…But I’m doing my best....don’t judge me…God knows my heart, he knows how hard it is out here".

Once again, we have to put our feet in God’s shoes once in a while. How willing would you be to granting your child’s wish if they only listened to you according to what they desired, or flat out didn’t listen at all? I will clean my room, do the dishes, and finish my homework…BUT…I’m going to sneak out at night, smoke a little of the green stuff, and so on and so forth.

Obedience, love, respect: those are the only things God asks from us.. In all honesty, there isn’t a desire on this Earth that God couldn’t satisfy with the blink of eye. Healing your loved one from an ailing condition, he gave us life he can restore it without a thought. Helping you get a job, people were placed as Kings because of him. Helping you save your home, he made King Solomon the wealthiest man to ever live. Helping you over come a sin you battle with, he gave Paul the grace necessary to overcome a thorn in his flesh he equated to a messenger from Satan, (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

God doesn’t avoid us we tend to avoid him, and imagine how insulted he must be when we refuse to acknowledge him, never think of him, constantly disobey him, and only remember him when it benefits us. Here’s the good news, God is a loving God, never holds grudges, and is always willing to give a person a new start no matter what skeletons are hiding in your closet. All it takes is for you to approach him as your Heavenly Father in sincere repentance. He loves us so much that at times he is willing to step aside and allow us to live as we desire, even if it comes against what we asks of us.

If you get anything out of this series I hope its encouragement to look at the possibilities as to why your prayers may seem unanswered. Let’s not be so fast to blame God or lash out against him because we pray…pray…pray and nothing happens. It may be that God is giving you what your lifestyle has reflected, a life without him.

What if you’re living according to what God asks, what if you are that child that brings him joy, that spiritual honor role student…why are your prayers sitting there unfulfilled. We’ll touch on this next so stay tuned.