Selfish Prayers

Recently I found myself praying for a solution to a transportation dilemma I am experiencing. Actually, I didn’t pray for a solution, I prayed for a car (is that selfish or what?). And I dressed the prayer in cloths of need. Let me explain.

My kids love our church, and they’ve started asking their friends to go. One friend is even joining our church family, another is becoming fairly regular. Our problem is that on some Sundays, we just don’t have enough room to transport everyone and we have to say “no.” So I found myself actually praying specifically for a 7-seater vehicle (that sounds so selfish).

But it is my belief and understanding that we can go to God with all our requests and that God wishes to know all the desires of our hearts. So that is what I did. However, I don’t think God intends for us to go to him with a need, and hem him in with our narrow-minded solution. God knows the solution to our dilemma; not I. God sees things that we can’t even imagine (see my prior post, God Cares Even for the Smallest Details, for an example).

It's not the praying for the need that's selfish - God wants to know. But it's confining God to a desired solution that I believe is selfish. So rather than ask for the miracle of a 7-seater vehicle, (because that truly would be a miracle), I instead turn the problem over to God to solve as he sees fit. Larger car? Maybe. Additional adult drivers? Who knows, but I look forward to God’s solution, not mine.

God Cares Even for the Smallest Details

Isn’t God amazing?

I know and love some unbelievers. I would like to be able to tell them stories of huge miracles in my life, proof positive that God exists. Mountain-moving miracles that confirm God beyond a doubt. But I can’t.

But I CAN tell stories of small miracles, and that’s one of the things that amazes me about God. God cares even about the small stuff!

Let me elaborate on one such small incident.

Recently my daughter was upset with news regarding a youth group church camping trip, and learned that she would not be attending the same weekend as her friends from church. (Small stuff I know, but pretty big to a teenager). There was nothing we could do to fix it. She registered early and was able to attend the only weekend she was available. Unfortunately the rest of the group registered late, and the weekend was full. They would have to attend an alternate weekend.

There were just two solutions I could see: 1) go individually, meet new friends and make the best of it; or 2) cancel and stay home.

But God saw it differently. God rearranged the pieces and solved the puzzle in a manner that is complete and beautiful, because he made it possible for the whole church youth group to go together. God made it possible for the camp to accommodate more kids, thus enabling her entire youth group to go together.

Small stuff, I know. But it just goes to show that God cares even for the smallest of details. God’s love is truly amazing!