Why is it that we are so focused on the prayer request but then stumble during the prayer process?
In Mathew 14: 22-33 we read about Jesus walking on water during a storm toward a boat that was carrying the disciples. One of the disciples was Peter. He asks Jesus to command him to come out of the boat to meet him. Jesus’ response was, “Yes, come.”
When we pray, often it’s an ‘ask’, such as, “Lord, please can you heal my loved one from whatever is ailing them.” Another is “God, please get me through this day without no problems, etc.” Why are we so focused on the asking? What is Jesus going to say, no? The prayer request should be a declaration, a decree; you need to have assurance that the Lord will provide and make a way for you. (Jehovah Jireh). Where’s the faith, friends? What has Jesus told us before in Mathew 7:7. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
As you continue reading you find that Peter goes over the boat and into the water. He’s doing okay walking on the sea until he notices the winds and the waves around him. Fear strikes him. Rather than keeping his attention on Jesus, he gets distracted and slips into the water, crying out to the Lord to be saved.
Hence, the faltering when our eyes are taken off Jesus during the process: the waiting, the testing, etc. Yes, it’s our human impatience that gets the best of us. If only we could endure till the end.
You know the expression that says something like this, “It’s the journey, not the destination that counts.” There’s a lot of truth to that. In this particular scripture, one of the many lessons learned (and there are several in these ten verses) is making your prayer requests focused and staying focused. Most importantly, believing in God’s timing that He will provide.
Photo by Atahan Demir: https://www.pexels.com/photo/anonymous-person-in-clear-water-7204553/