“Be careful what you ask for; you just might get it.” I have always hated that phrase. It does nothing but fill the pray-er with fear. What if you ask for something you shouldn’t have asked for? Does God stand back grinning while you suffer, having received the very thing you thought you needed. What kind of Father gives his son a stone or a snake if he asks for it?
In studying today, I came across a good quote:
We can pray with confidence if we know that our ‘success’ depends on God’s wisdom and attention, not on our performance in prayer. There is a saying, ‘Be careful what you ask for; you might get it.’ That is, if we ask for the wrong thing, God just might give it…Of course, we should be careful with our requests. But we insult the Lord if we suggest that he will give us what we ask for, even though it will harm us. Why would he do such a thing? Does God lack discernment? Is he like an over indulgent parent, giving out candy because his children request it over and over, despite the fact that it rots the teeth and bloats the flesh? Is God cruel? Will he say, “You asked me for something foolish. Ok, I will grant it. But you will realize your folly when you see the results. That will teach you to make rash requests.” The Lord is neither ignorant nor cruel. He knows and loves. God forgives and mends our prayers as surely as he forgives and mends our other failings. This lets us pray confidently. (Daniel Doriani, Matthew, 209)
by Ajay Thomas
Ajay lives in Philadelphia with his wife Shainu and their kids Hannah and Micah. He is responsible for preaching and vision as a pastor at Seven Mile Road.