According to His Will

According to His Will

I'm reading With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray.

He was talking about "Ask and it shall be given you," and how so often believers ask, and are content to ask many things and "trust that some of them will be heard, but know little of direct definite answer to prayer as a rule of daily life."

Kind of like your four year old spitting out these machine gun bullets, never hearing your response.  She may ask twenty times before it finally dawns on her that you answered once...18 times ago.

I've thought of that ever since.  We all have our list.  Often we petition God on behalf of those on the list.  Fervently.  Sincerely.  But do I ever wait to hear an answer after each one?  Do I expect...an answer?  Like...to really know what He thinks of everything I pray about?

The answer may be no...like when Jesus prayed for God to work out salvation another way the night He was taken to be tried.  Or when Moses really wanted to go into the Promised Land.  Both were a clear no and they knew it...there was no guessing.

But as I read or pray, is it with an open ear?    Am I expecting an answer and then modifying my prayers accordingly?

"God will teach those who are teachable and give Him time.... by His Word and Spirit, whether their request be according to His will or not.  Let us withdraw the request, if it be not according to God's mind or persevere till the answer comes. "  Which means...we ask...expecting an answer.

I always end...."if it's according to your will,"  but when something makes the list, am I truly asking to know how I should be praying?

I heard the story about a missionary in China years ago who was known for healing.  She wasn't sent by a Board who advocated healing, but God had chosen to use healing to bring Chinese to Himself.  So a man or woman would come to her and ask for her help.  She would tell them to wait, that she needed to ask God...then she'd go inside and pray.

After awhile, she'd come out and either say, "Come in, I will pray for you, " and they would be healed or "God said no...I cannot help you."

Maybe there's something to be learned from that practice.  And maybe it's, "God, I'm adding this to the list....but in doing so, I am asking that as I pray and then go about my day, that You would tell me if I"m praying according to Your will.  If I am not, I will amend my praying to line up with Your will or drop the matter altogether.  If I am praying according to Your will, I will continue until You answer."

Maybe sometimes we don't really expect to hear anything at all.