“Oh,” I said, my heart a bag of mixed feelings. This was totally not what I’d expected.
You see, for weeks I’d been praying earnestly for God to help me find a particular local doctor in Africa. He was someone of influence, whom I’d been highly recommended to speak to because he would likely provide useful suggestions on how I could serve the community in public health.
Guess what? In the most amazing way, I found him! But the outcome was not what I expected.
He’d changed jobs, and was no longer at the nexus of public health contacts. He no longer was the “right person.”
Suddenly, I had an epiphany— God is never short of resources to answer even the hardest of our prayers. But He desires us to pray the right ones. And the right ones… can only be discovered through the practice of more prayer.
As I surrendered my heart, I discovered that my heart’s longing was not to find this doctor at all (so what if I found him?), but REALLY, to find meaningful work where I could really apply my gifts to save lives. Deep down, I wanted to flourish as I served.
Instead of praying for a gym (so what if there is one in a rural town?), I realized what my heart REALLY longed for was an exercise community and good physical & mental health.
In the same way, have you ever prayed for a particular job, only to realize it came with toxic bosses, and realizing what you REALLY wanted was joyful work? Ever prayed for something then realize how unhappy it made you… realizing what you needed was something so different?
When I discovered this revelation, it made me curious about my children’s prayers for “no mosquitoes,” “no bears” and “butterflies” in Africa. 🦋
Underneath these requests, what were their heart cries? That of safety, good health and to find a place of beauty. 🏡🌳
Friends, when you don’t know what to pray for or what’s good for you, pray anyway. 🙏🏾Prayer is the process and journey that we discover what we really want, and align that with what’s really on God’s heart. Together, we can hit the mark. 💛🎯