"THIS IS NOT WHAT I’VE ASKED FOR"

THIS IS NOT WHAT I’VE ASKED FOR

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:8 - NKJV

This is for sure one of the most loved, quoted and maybe misinterpreted teachings of Jesus.
When we are saved by grace of God, one of the first notions we learn - and rightly so - is the idea that we now have a Heavenly Father, Who cares for us, and provides for His sons and daughters in marvelous ways.
As time goes by, that notion becomes somewhat pervasive, because we develop the thinking that the Lord is just waiting in a wonderful intergalactical heavenly station ready to push some buttons and throw us gifts and goods on an endless basis. On time, we start craving for unlimited requests that many times come from a selfish heart and unpurposed desires.

I believe the main issue is that we do not quite understand the verse: the Bible does not say “For everyone who asks receives exactly what he asks”, but it says: “For everyone who asks receives.”
Considering that many times we do not know what or how to ask for our needs in prayer, the Lord does not answer us with exactly everything we request. Otherwise, we could be receiving scorpions instead of bread, and a snake instead of eggs. The apostle Paul also explains in Romans chapter 8 that “we do not know what we should pray for.”

Perhaps every once in a while you might get disappointed with the results or answers of what you’ve asked in prayer, but as children of God, we should all be absolutely sure that our God knows in detail what is best for us, the appropriate time for our answers, and His will and wisdom are infinitely better than ours. If you have received an answer of prayer different than what you expected, be joyful and grateful to the Lord, you will certainly thank Him later!

Wishing many blessings to you and your family!

Pastor Joshua