Be Careful What You Pray For

You have heard, "Be careful what you pray for." Usually the seemingly wise person who says these words is trying to warn of the creative and difficult ways in which God seems to answer prayers. A prayer for wisdom may lead into a time of severe circumstances that try and teach, adding the wisdom of experience. A prayer for patience may lead to a lingering difficulty or chronic annoyance, teaching that patience is necessary in unchanging difficult relationships and situations. The warning to be careful sounds wise at the outset, but "Be careful what you pray for" makes it seem like remaining foolish and impatient is a better alternative to the path of challenging, God-ordained transformation.

A great friend from Abilene wrote to me yesterday asking about those who pursue gifts from God and exercise ministries of prayer and intercession beyond what would be plain vanilla in the Church of Christ. It seems that some of these folks are finding their prayers answered in the lives of those for whom they have interceded. They are praising God for his grace and mercy. My friend wanted to know what I thought. My first thought was, "Be careful what you pray for." 

My second and better thought called both him and me to a bolder obedience to Luke 11:13: "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" We are going to ask. While we might like to know where a more fervent invitation for the Holy Spirit's presence and power might lead us, the prayer of faith does not demand a disclosure statement from on high. 

To be sure, the calling of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit almost always lead those called and empowered to greater service and greater suffering. Such knowledge should not generate caution. Instead my friend and I have made a covenant with each other to ask God to bless us with the Spirit more and more and not to worry about where that might lead. I would invite any and all to join us in this simple response to the teaching of Jesus in Luke 11 … and as we respond, we will not be careful what we pray for.

God bless us all.