"Heavenly Father, Please Tell me What I Want."

Some of the things in this blog have been swirling around in my brain for several days, others will simply roll off my finger tips on the spur of the keyboard. I'm sure you can tell the difference between the two.

I have been a parent now for two and a half years. In that time I've learned a lot from our daughter. She loves to eat. I think the thing that she loves the most about eating is the food. Hmm. Good idea.
She gets that from me I think, though this vision is expanding a little bit. At times, when the table is full of food she loves, she gets very impatient as she waits to receive all that might be on the table at that particular meal. I will be in the process of cutting up something into pieces that she already has on her plate and she will be asking for the next thing that she doesn't yet have on her plate. Our patient reply goes something like this: "Just a minute honey, we'll get you everything that you need. Don't worry." She can't see the big picture even though I have never neglected her needs. To her, the most important thing is what she doesn't already have.


So many times I am like that too. God, who sees the big picture and not only knows my needs but knows how to meet them, has always faithfully given me everything that I need. Yet still, I am anxious for what I don't have on my plate. Enough said.

I recently finished a good book about raising kids. (I used to think those types of books were boring.) There was a good anecdote in the book that teaches a good principle that I want to put into practice. One little boy sat down at the restaurant with his parents. When his daddy picked up the menu and began to browse he began to excitedly pound on his daddy's arm saying, "Tell me what I want Daddy, tell me what I want."

So many times I come to my Heavenly Father with my list saying, "O Lord, here are all the things I want You to do, or be, or provide. Now, be glorified in them. In Jesus name, Amen." I want to pray this way: "Heavenly Father, please tell me what I want."

A Prime Example
We find ourselves in a familiar situation this last week of July. We are house-hunting. I remember the little cabin in Hot Springs and when that house became the house I had lived in longer than anywhere else in my life. I lived there for five years. Since we "moved" from there, our family is currently on a new record for longevity: 11 months in the same house. Unfortunately (and I say that humanly speaking) economic conditions are such that we need to move again. We looked for the first time yesterday and while the Realtor told us the rent market is really slow because of the government housing loans that enables people own their home for relatively low payments (sound familiar?), there is not a lot to choose from. We looked at everything that falls into our price range in one afternoon. Tomorrow we plan to look in a different town. 

We continue to weigh out the pros and cons, costs, ministry opportunities, proximity to church/Bible study, etc and rely on the Lord for His provision and wisdom. It is so easy to come to God in this circumstance and say, "OK Lord, we need this, this, and this in a house and it needs to be done like this and like this." What our prayer must be is this: "Heavenly Father, please tell us what we want."

David said:

I waited patiently for the Lord;

And He inclined to me, 

And heard my cry.

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, 

Out of the miry clay, 

And set my feet on a rock,

And established my steps. 

He has put a new song in my mouth, 

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear, 

And will trust in the Lord.

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

Let such as love Your salvation say continually, 

"The Lord be magnified!"

But I am poor and needy;

Yet the Lord things upon me 

You are my help and my deliverer; 

Do not delay, O my God.

Salmo 40