Is it still true that God will give us the "desires of our hearts" if we pray and ask for it? Specifically, my husband and I are praying for God to open doors for us to buy our very first home in a nice area, where we can raise our two children, and I asked Him to give me $100,000 or much more, even, to buy some land, invest, and help others in need financially; is it wrong to pray for this and expect and trust God to give us what we specifically asked him for?
I hope you can actually respond to me directly, cause I really want to know. I know you get a lot of emails and that you need your rest. You can respond to me when you've been rested up and nurished by physical food, and I'll respect that, but please do respond to me... I don't want to assume things of God that I shouldn't even when I pray. Sorry if you've answered this before, I didn't see it on your website in FAQs.
Neka
Dear Neka:
There are so many misconceptions about prayer, that I cannot cover them in an email, but I do promise to write a paper entitled "The Answer to Unanswered Prayer" in the near future, as I believe it is a most important subject.
I do not believe for one minute that God will answer your prayer for "a $100,000 house, plus MUCH MORE, and even some land to invest in" etc. It is a nice jesture that you tack on, adding that you would use some of the prophets to help those in need.
My first thought when I read you email was, "Why not just ask God to makeyou a multimillionaire, and forget all the land stuff, and you would then already have enough to help others with?" I just don't believe that God works that way, Neka.
Pray for your needs of "food, clothing, and shelter." Thank God for what you have. Work hard and save for a home, and be willing to make payments like most of us have had to do.
Abraham may have been very rich, but I tell you in all truth, that many people on welfare and food stamps live far better than Abraham ever thought to live--Central heating and air home, car, frig, TV, electric stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, indoor toilets, showers and baths, glass wildows, plush furniture, professionl health care, and a hundred other things that Abraham and Sarah could not have even dreamed of.
I have seen many people LUST for things of this world, and acquired them, but rare is the times that God just sends a hundred thousand dollar house and much wealth merely because someone prays for it. Look for my paper on Prayer. It will be posted on our home page.
God be with you,
Ray
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. ( I Timothy 2)