Why They Say, "Careful What You Pray For"

Seems like when I pray for help with something I usually end up saying, "God answered, but....Ouch! That was painful!"

God gauges with me - for my sake - just how much I need help. He does like this kind of dipstick to obtain a measurement of where my starting point would be for the help I need.

For example, I prayed that he would help me be a good parent to my sons, who by the way are on track to be greater than I could ever dream of being. I want that. I don't want my lack of wisdom to hold my sons back or to be a cloaking device for their human development. Anyway, so I pray for God's help. Pretty standard, right?

No sooner do I pray for that when I get into a super big argument with one of my kids. I let anger completely get the best of me, and from an emotionally self-centered place, I give all kinds of over the top mandates....you know, to maintain 'parental power'. Which is a good thing to have, but you don't develop it with anger, trust me.

So, I realize God was presenting me with an opportunity to 1. rely on Him and 2. to understand where I fall on the scale for needing help. It's like if I were in a well and prayed for help getting out - God's answer, in addition to reaching down to help me out, revealed to me just how deep I was in the well. I know where I stand after I pray for help because a painful experience showing me just how bad I am always follows my pleas for help. I come away with a point of departure for learning.

And once I realize my measure, I open up. He will fill me up with the wisdom I need to succeed.

Took a while for me to figure this out. It's hard but good. So if you pray for help to be a good parent, perfect spouse, sober, good at finances, good at whatever... be careful. Because God may just answer with an experience that gives you an opportunity to measure the depth of your weakness before he strengthens you in that area. Praying for help isn't just a bail-out.