We can develop a 'slot-machine' God concept, when we tend to only pray when we need or want something. It's an easy concept to develop, really, since we live in such a me-focused culture.
While prayer is much more than just us spilling our wants out to God - it is a part of what praying is about. In Paul's letter to the church in Philippi, he encourages us to take our requests, in every situation, to God. Philippians 4:6, says to "pray about everything and tell God what you need."
Jesus' example of prayer kicks our butts to a new level though, when it comes to asking God for what we want. Jesus had an intimate relationship with His Father. He spent time with Him. He prioritized this relationship by withdrawing from the crowds, and being with Him alone - soaking in His presence, listening and also pouring out requests to Him. Prayer was a way of life for Jesus, not an add-on or last resort.
Just before Jesus was headed to undergo the agonizing torture of the crucifixion, we see a glimpse into the conversation He had with His Father recorded for us in the Scriptures. Jesus kneels down in submission and cries out, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” - Luke 22:42 . When His fleshly desires ran contrary to what His Father had planned for Him to do, He submitted to the plan. It was - after all - the purpose of Jesus coming to earth in the first place. Jesus would be the sacrificial lamb slain for the payment of all sin. Jesus believed in the plans of His Father. So, in a beautiful moment of choosing His Father's will for His life, over His own request, we're given a prototype on how we should bring our requests to God in prayer.
We can pour out our honest desires, and ask God for anything. There's nothing off limits with what we bring to Him. But He's no slot-machine! Prayer is not about bending God's will to veer towards what we want. Ultimately, prayer helps us in the pursuit of knowing God's will for our lives, and then aligning our lives accordingly - believing that His plans for us are better than our own. When we want something desperately, it's hard to say "this is what I want God, BUT if You have a different plan, I want that instead", when it's something we have been dreaming about, or when we feel like getting it will fix a multitude of other problems we're facing.
But, if we can view God in such a way, that we believe He has the best planned for us, would we really want it any other way?
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