What If You Had to Just Pick One?

I went to a conference a few weeks ago. During one of the sessions the speaker asked us to think of something or someone we wanted to pray for. She listed several categories and prayed for each one.  As I was listening and thinking of all the things I could pray for I suddenly stopped and thought, “if I could only have one prayer answered what would it be?”

I had gone through a long list of things as the speaker talked. I hurt my knee several months ago and it would be wonderful to walk again without pain. Our finances could use some boosting. There are some relationships I would love to see mended. The list went on and on. That’s when I stopped and asked that question.  What WOULD that one thing be if there could only be one?

Immediately I began to cry as I asked God for the one thing that mattered most. I prayed for my husband Randy to be healed of liver disease. It was the most important thing in the world at that moment. I believed I could lay everything else aside if only God would answer that one single prayer.

But, you know what? That is totally wrong.

God isn’t like a genie in a bottle that gives you three wishes and that’s all you get. I don’t have to choose which prayer to ask as though eventually God will run out of answers. Mark 11:24 DOESN’T say,”Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. But you only get to ask for three things.”

God has enough answers for every prayer you pray. I don’t have to choose my husband’s health over relief from my own knee pain. There is no trade-off here.

The trade has already been made. Jesus made the sacrifice so we could say with Paul, “For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

So ask away! God wants to hear about everything that you need. He wants to show you that He loves you and since His love is endless, so are the answers to your prayers.

You cannot run out of answered prayers.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” – Mark 11:24 (CSV)