I want it now!

Most people pray. Sadly, much of our praying is a little selfish. We pray to get something or someone, to win a game or to get health or wealth. Many end up disillusioned. They don’t get what they want. There are a few who simply pray that God would appear, or do some miracles before they will even believe in His existence. They want some sort of “sign,” then they will believe.

But I wonder what you would think of the mentality of someone who said "Some time ago I emailed the White House and told the President that he needed to be at my house last Friday, with a gift for me. He didn’t show up, so I believe that he doesn’t exist." I’m sure you would think that that person was either naive or mentally challenged.

If you have ever prayed for something and felt that your prayer didn't get past the ceiling, you are probably right. Just as there is a certain procedure that you must go through to have an audience with the President, so there is certain procedure that you must go through to have an audience with God, or you won't get one. You have His promise on that.

Here’s some information that may help you. The first thing to understand is that we are enemies of God, and that His wrath abides on us until we come to faith in Jesus. John 3:36 says “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” We are rebels. So the odds of getting an audience are greatly stacked against us.

The Bible even tells us that our sins have made a separation between us and God, so that He will not hear us. You can read that in Isaiah 59. The Scriptures tell us that He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So it would be wise to stop clicking our fingers and expecting God to come running like some sort of divine butler. It doesn’t work that way.

Listen to James 4:3-4): “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” So, if you want an audience with God, you need to become a friend of God, and you can do that by surrendering to His will. Once you have His smile, then you have His ear, so to speak. And to get His smile you and I must humble ourselves, repent, and trust the Savior--and that will give you direct access so that, as the Bible says, “you can come boldly before the Throne of Grace.”

Then make sure you understand that God always answers prayer. That way you will never be disappointed. Sometimes He says "Yes" and grants our desires. Sometimes He says "No" and doesn’t. Other times He makes us wait so that we learn to exercise faith and patience.

Most people don’t understand that there are at least two types of the will of God. There’s His permissive will, where He will allow things to happen to the Christian. These may not seem to be beneficial for us--trials, tribulations and persecution, but God promises to work these things out for our good, in the light of eternity.

Then there is the perfect will of God, and you can read all about that in His Word--the Bible.