Gba ohun èlò náàPray While You’re Prey Devotions For Singles, 2Àpẹrẹ
God Is NOT A Genie
If you found a lamp, rubbed it, and a genie popped out saying, “I will grant you three wishes,” what would you wish for? Many people answer that question with, “more wishes!” Some people would wish for money, some would wish for fame, some, especially if they are reading this, might wish for a loving spouse. I would love to be all holier-than-thou and say that I would wish for world peace or something selfless, but I know me better than that.
It is okay to fantasize about what you would wish for with your magical wishes; however, too many of us treat God like He is a genie. We treat him as if He is responsible for giving us our every desire. All we have to do it name it and claim it or blab it and grab it. God is NOT a genie. Yes, God wants us to come to Him with our every desire. But, God also wants us to be so in tune with Him that His desires for our lives become our desires.
A genie lives in a bottle. He is summoned out when someone rubs the lamp, and then, he grants the wishes and goes back to the lamp. Can you imagine what this world would be like if God was limited to only acting upon our selfish whims? I do not even want to think about it. What if God was confined to a small lamp? The God I serve is way too big for that!
Still, we read verses like Mark 11:24 and misinterpret it to mean that we can just make our three wishes, believe with all of our hearts, God will say the magic words and then our desire will appear. That is not how it works. If that were the case, yours truly would not be single and childless. We can absolutely ask God for whatever we desire, but we need to understand that if it is not in His Will, He will say “no.”
When Jesus asked God to spare Him from the crucifixion, God said, “no.” Notice what Jesus prayed, though, He said, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Thy will be done.” That is the part we forget. We ask God for a myriad of people, places and things to come into our lives, but we give no thought to the fact that God wants us to live our best life; the life that will bring Him glory. Ask, seek, and knock; the Word of God says you can. Just be sure that you are asking for more of God, seeking His face and knocking on doors of opportunity to be more like Him. Then, you will have everything you desire and even more than you could ever imagine.
Prayer
Thank You, God for hearing my prayers of supplication.
Please forgive me for being selfish when I make requests to You.
Lord, please help me to know the desires You have for my life
and to request that which will draw me closer to You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
If you found a lamp, rubbed it, and a genie popped out saying, “I will grant you three wishes,” what would you wish for? Many people answer that question with, “more wishes!” Some people would wish for money, some would wish for fame, some, especially if they are reading this, might wish for a loving spouse. I would love to be all holier-than-thou and say that I would wish for world peace or something selfless, but I know me better than that.
It is okay to fantasize about what you would wish for with your magical wishes; however, too many of us treat God like He is a genie. We treat him as if He is responsible for giving us our every desire. All we have to do it name it and claim it or blab it and grab it. God is NOT a genie. Yes, God wants us to come to Him with our every desire. But, God also wants us to be so in tune with Him that His desires for our lives become our desires.
A genie lives in a bottle. He is summoned out when someone rubs the lamp, and then, he grants the wishes and goes back to the lamp. Can you imagine what this world would be like if God was limited to only acting upon our selfish whims? I do not even want to think about it. What if God was confined to a small lamp? The God I serve is way too big for that!
Still, we read verses like Mark 11:24 and misinterpret it to mean that we can just make our three wishes, believe with all of our hearts, God will say the magic words and then our desire will appear. That is not how it works. If that were the case, yours truly would not be single and childless. We can absolutely ask God for whatever we desire, but we need to understand that if it is not in His Will, He will say “no.”
When Jesus asked God to spare Him from the crucifixion, God said, “no.” Notice what Jesus prayed, though, He said, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Thy will be done.” That is the part we forget. We ask God for a myriad of people, places and things to come into our lives, but we give no thought to the fact that God wants us to live our best life; the life that will bring Him glory. Ask, seek, and knock; the Word of God says you can. Just be sure that you are asking for more of God, seeking His face and knocking on doors of opportunity to be more like Him. Then, you will have everything you desire and even more than you could ever imagine.
Prayer
Thank You, God for hearing my prayers of supplication.
Please forgive me for being selfish when I make requests to You.
Lord, please help me to know the desires You have for my life
and to request that which will draw me closer to You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Ìwé mímọ́
Nípa Ìpèsè yìí
Several years ago, I wrote a book called, Pray While You’re Prey: How God Turned my Loneliness and Frustration into Contentment and Commitment. It was always my intention to revisit the Bible verses in the book and other Scriptures that have been uplifting to me during this season of singleness to encourage others. The first part of this devotion received a lot of feedback and requests for more, so here is and additional part. I pray that this devotion continues to honor Him and bless you. Enjoy!
More
