A lot of people do. How about you?
The other day a friend told of not being able to find her cell phone charger. "I took my house apart. I went through every place I could think of, but I absolutely could not find it.
"Finally I remembered to ask God for help. About two minutes later I realized I hadn't checked the wooden box on my counter. I checked the box and there it was. I think God was just waiting for me to ask so He could answer my prayer."
Is it really that simple?
Not quite. That would be a sort of "push-button God," wouldn't it?
Some of us have learned over the years that yes, God does hear our prayers. We may not always get the answer we prayed for, but one way or another, He will give what we truly need. Or we get a "wait" and feel forgotten. Only later will we understand that God did answer our prayers--and in the best way possible. We just hadn't recognized it at the time.
We can be certain of this: God does want to hear what's on our hearts:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. -Philippians 4:6
Do we pray only about the Big Things? Or everything?
Another time I was with a group of friends and one who lives alone told about trying to change a light bulb that refused to budge. "I was about ready to give up," she said.
"Finally I just said, 'Lord, I don't want to have to call someone to come for such a little job. Please help me!'
"Then I decided to give it one more try. A couple of twists and that silly bulb came right out. I know it was just a light bulb, but that day it seemed proof that God was watching over me."
People standing around her soon chimed in with their own stories of how they saw God's hand in their own challenges and also in various situations, past and present. Some were accounts of real crises and others of small, everyday things. In every case God brought the teller through the tough times.
It didn't matter. We listened and rejoiced together that God is faithful and He really cares about each one of us.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. -1 John 5:14
The truth is God really works
He can bless us with or without our prayers. It seems to me the value of us praying for everything that's on our hearts is twofold. First, it keeps us focused on our gracious Giver. Second, when we pray and things seem to "work out," it strengthens our faith because we know it's God answering our prayers and that reminds us that He loves us.
To put it another way, when we pray we look for His hand in our lives. We see Him already to work in our lives and therefore, we thank Him.
We know because we know that it is God blessing us. Not luck and not coincidence.
As for whether to pray only for Big Things or for everything, I vote for the latter. Listen to what the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Every moment of our lives it is as the song says: "He's got the whole wide world ... in His hands."
That includes you and me. God is with us and He is for us and He always, always hears our prayers.
May you know this and may His peace fill your heart!
Lenore
