Expecting?

I have been stuck on this very simple but VERY PROFOUND truth in the word of God. Many of you, I’m sure, are very familiar with it but lets just stop and absorb it a minute……

The Greatest in the Kingdom –  Matthew 18:1-4, “At that time the disciples came up and asked Jesus, Who then is really the greatest in the kingdom heaven? And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them, And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children (trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving), you can never enter the kingdom of heaven at all. Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child (trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving) is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Now, once again, I will and probably always will, have to resist going down many (and I mean many) rabbit trails! But keeping this scripture in mind…..trusting like a little child ….. let’s look at another scripture.

Acts 12 starts out with the apostle James (John’s brother) being tracked down and killed. Herod, being a people pleaser, saw how this pleased the Jewish people so he had Peter arrested and put in prison to await trial after the passover.  Verse 5 says, “But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.” And now let’s pick up in verse 12 after Peter is released from prison by the angel of God, “….he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer (don’t miss this). He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhonda came to open it. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be an angel.” Meanwhile (I wish I could put in a foot tapping emoji right here), Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.” ……hmmmmm

Verse 5 tells us the church prayed earnestly for him……verse 12 says they were gathered for prayer…..but verse 16 tells us that they were AMAZED (key word here) to see Peter at the door?? Now, that’s puzzling to me!! Shouldn’t they have EXPECTED their prayers to be answered in one way or another!? Shouldn’t they be, “Of course Peter is at the door!” Jesus tells us in the very same chapter of Matthew 18 about trusting like a child, verses 19-20, “I also tell you this: If two of you agree (prayer) here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers (prayer), I am there among them.”  Jesus had already told them to trust as a little child does and therefore know that when you gather (two or three) to pray….KNOW that your Father in heaven is working on your behalf!

Here’s some insight for us. There is no reason to keep revisiting that same prayer if we have already prayed being led by his Spirit! If we approach prayer like a child, waiting on the Lords direction (spirit led prayer), like a child would wait for direction from a parent, then when we do pray as God has shown us our job is to just TRUST!! Yep, thats it!! Trust!!

2 Chronicles 20:15 tells us not to be discouraged, “that the battle in not yours, but God’s.” We let God do the work!! Sometimes, I think Christians can fall into a place of works in prayer. What I mean by that is sometimes a situation can come up and well meaning Christians take off like a flash of lightning; binding the devil, yelling out scriptures and completely praying amiss!  While they are wielding their swords around (the word of God) they haven’t even asked God in which direction to pray.

Here’s the lesson in this. When it time to pray… stop, ask God to lead by His Spirit, pray, trust. And for goodness sake….. EXPECT!!!!