hope against hope

this weekend, part of our sermon was about praying expectantly. i feel like this is something the Lord is definitely refining me in. although i don't exactly know what it looks like to pray expectantly, i feel like God is definitely beginning to reveal to me what it means. my problem is that when i start to pray expectantly, i inadvertently put my hope in the thing i'm praying for. for instance, when i pray for a job, or for pregnancy, i put my hope in whether or not God is going to answer that prayer, and then am thoroughly disappointed and sad when he doesn't. and then i become frustrated with prayer, and don't understand why we even pray for anything at all... and this is exactly where Satan wants me, you see? disappointed. sad. frustrated. hopeless... not good! the Enemy would want me to give up on making my requests known before my Abba Father. here's the thing though. we aren't to put our hope in the thing we're praying for - we are to put our hope in the One we're praying to. when we make our requests known to the Lord, but then step back and expectantly wait on Jesus - the Author and Perfecter of our faith - we are never disappointed. ephesians 3 says:

now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, amen. 

so whether God answers my prayer the exact way i'm hoping he will or not should not determine my emotion toward Him. if my heart is waiting on Christ, and he is who he says he is, and he is able to do far more than i could ever hope or imagine, and he is working all things for my good, and he has a perfect plan for my life - then i can't wait to see how he answers my prayer! and that is praying expectantly. it is still right and good for me to make specific requests made known to our Father - but then i must wait excitedly, with my hope in Him, as to how he will answer, resting in His promises. doesn't that bring your heart peace? praise to Him!

God often comforts me through music. the 'buy now' button on itunes is just too easy... my poor husband didn't know what he was getting himself into when he married me :) this song has brought my heart great comfort lately. i will most likely blog about music a lot. i pray it blesses you too.