The Last Ditch Effort

"Dear God, Please help me to do well on this exam."

"Dear Lord, I hope that you will heal Sally's grandmother from her sickness."

"Dear God...if there is a god..."

These three scenarios are common occurrences that arise in the prayer life of Christians and non-Christians alike. They are the fleeting quips, uttered as a last ditch effort and as a last resort in that great time of need.

Most often, prayer is the last thing that comes to mind.

The thought: If I can't do it...then maybe God can.

This thought demonstrates an incorrect prioritization of the things in our lives. It says, I am stronger, and I can do it on my own. And if perchance, I simply can't do it on my own, then...and only then, will I go to God.

But why is it that prayer is so frequently the last thing on our to-do list?

It's simple. The thought is wrong.

The new thought: God can do all things.

If God can do all things, He doesn't need my permission to do them. If we all genuinely believed that "every good and perfect gift is from above," our prayer lives would be transformed.

Rather than a last minute quip, thought would go into the prayer that we produce. Beyond that, we would change our habits from "the last ditch effort prayer" to the "prayer of expectancy".

What is this "prayer of expectancy"? And how does it differ from "the last ditch effort prayer"?

Quite honestly, "the last ditch effort prayer" offers little hope. And, while sometimes necessary, does not build a strong foundation for a wholesome prayer life.

On the contrary, thought is given to the "prayer of expectancy". It is a function of a heart that earnestly expects God to answer. Not expecting the Lord to answer in the way that we specifically want, but one that expects an answer. It accompanies a person who genuinely prays expectantly. It offers true hope.

Wouldn't you want to spend more time with God if you truly believed that He loved and cared for you? That He wants to answer your prayers? That He wants you to want Him to know all the intricacies of your life?

So pray expecting God to answer. Pray with a spirit of genuine faithfulness, not as a last ditch effort, but as a matter of first priority. Pray expectantly.