Today’s 333 Devotional: “Prayer: What Do We Expect?”

Herod saw how killing the James pleased the Jewish leaders. Hoping to secure their support he then arrested Peter looking to put him to death as well.

And so the church gathered and prayed.

The evening prior to his execution an angel came and delivered Peter from his prison cell. Peter then made his way to Mary’s house where the disciples were praying. When he knocked at the gate a girl named Rhoda recognized Peter’s voice, but didn’t open the gate; instead she ran and told the others Peter was outside.

You’d expect they’d be jumping with joy at God’s answer to prayer. Instead they didn’t believe the girl saying, “You’re nuts,” and “It’s his angel,” or merely an aberration.

Why do we pray? Do we pray because we believe God will answer, or has prayer become a religious duty? Do we believe in prayer, and what do we expect when we pray?

Jesus said, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” (Luke 11:9-13)

Do we believe? Then we should not only pray believing, but also pray with the spirit of expectation and anticipation.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)