Susie Larson says "we set ourselves up for disappointment" if we pray to God expecting him to respond exactly as we plan.
"This puts undue pressure on the relationship in a way that's unfair and unsustainable," she writes in her book Your Powerful Prayers: Reaching the Heart of God with a Bold and Humble Faith.
Instead, we should pray with "expectancy" - something quite different from demanding that God meet our expectations precisely as we wish.
"When we dictate to God and then we're surprised when he doesn't jump through our hoops, we eventually lose heart," Larson says.
But, if we pray with "expectancy that something divine just might happen", we may well see God surpass our expectations.
"To live with expectancy is to live with an ear bent toward heaven. It's to repeatedly look above our circumstances, knowing that God is involved in our everyday lives."
She adds: "The expectant heart passionately believes that any day now, God just might break through."
As we pray, we should "give God time and space to work out his plans for us with the understanding that there's always a mystery to following God".
"He's a miracle-working God," she says, "and he often breaks through in ways that we couldn't have imagined and at a time we least expect him to."
It's not that we expect too much from God - in fact, we often expect too little. "Our idea of what breakthrough looks like frequently falls short of what God has in mind for us."
"His breakthroughs always bear fruit, always bless others (not just us) and always accomplish his purposes on earth."
To pray expectantly, she says we must believe that God is at work on earth; that he keeps his promises; that he's the same yesterday, today and forever; that he's not a respecter of people, but of faith; that he draws near to those who are humble and worship him; that nothing is too difficult for him; and that it's impossible for him to fail us.
In my mind, the prophet Daniel is a man who prayed expectantly.
As a Jewish captive in the Babylonian court, he was selected for execution with other Babylonian wise men for being unable to figure out the nightmare dreamed by the Babylonian king. He took the problem to God who let him know what the dream was about and he and the other wise men were saved.
This was one of a string of amazing answers to prayer that Daniel received from God in his lifetime. He trusted God to answer his questions without trying impose his own wishes. He expected to receive an answer and God responded.
I like that thought - pray expectantly!
"This puts undue pressure on the relationship in a way that's unfair and unsustainable," she writes in her book Your Powerful Prayers: Reaching the Heart of God with a Bold and Humble Faith.
Instead, we should pray with "expectancy" - something quite different from demanding that God meet our expectations precisely as we wish.
"When we dictate to God and then we're surprised when he doesn't jump through our hoops, we eventually lose heart," Larson says.
But, if we pray with "expectancy that something divine just might happen", we may well see God surpass our expectations.
"To live with expectancy is to live with an ear bent toward heaven. It's to repeatedly look above our circumstances, knowing that God is involved in our everyday lives."
She adds: "The expectant heart passionately believes that any day now, God just might break through."
As we pray, we should "give God time and space to work out his plans for us with the understanding that there's always a mystery to following God".
"He's a miracle-working God," she says, "and he often breaks through in ways that we couldn't have imagined and at a time we least expect him to."
It's not that we expect too much from God - in fact, we often expect too little. "Our idea of what breakthrough looks like frequently falls short of what God has in mind for us."
"His breakthroughs always bear fruit, always bless others (not just us) and always accomplish his purposes on earth."
To pray expectantly, she says we must believe that God is at work on earth; that he keeps his promises; that he's the same yesterday, today and forever; that he's not a respecter of people, but of faith; that he draws near to those who are humble and worship him; that nothing is too difficult for him; and that it's impossible for him to fail us.
In my mind, the prophet Daniel is a man who prayed expectantly.
As a Jewish captive in the Babylonian court, he was selected for execution with other Babylonian wise men for being unable to figure out the nightmare dreamed by the Babylonian king. He took the problem to God who let him know what the dream was about and he and the other wise men were saved.
This was one of a string of amazing answers to prayer that Daniel received from God in his lifetime. He trusted God to answer his questions without trying impose his own wishes. He expected to receive an answer and God responded.
I like that thought - pray expectantly!
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