Be Careful What You Ask For

I heard a true story once about a man who told God that He (God) was more important than anything else. God said to the man, "Do you mean it?" The man again told God that he would give up all that he had for God. The next day there was a fire in the house, it was totally destroyed, and nothing escaped the fire except the man and his family.

I have been told, perhaps warned, that you should be careful what you ask for.

How often have we said or even sung, "Lord, I want to know you more." How about this "Lord I want to have more faith" or "I believe, help my unbelief". Do we ever think about how that might actuality come to be? I have never known God to just mystically transfer these things to the person asking. Just as a muscle doesn't develop overnight from sheer desire, it takes time and work.

It's no secret that my life has been in a state of... change. There was a time no so long ago I asked something similar to one of these questions. I can remember thinking something along the lines of "life is good" and so "nothing is driving me to my knees". In a good season of ease we pray out of our devotion to God. In a hard season there is an impetus that pushes us toward God. This is the working of the muscle. We are developed by God during the hard seasons.