To start out today, I want everyone to know that I am super pumped about today’s topic and the opportunity to share this blog with you. Hopefully it challenges you today in your prayer life and makes you think. I know it has for me.
So Eli is now over two years old, and talking like a madman. He is copying every word we say and making absolutely off the wall comments. He is really starting to comprehend things and know what he is saying. With that, Lindsey and I are really trying to teach him to ask for things instead of just pointing at things and giving us simple statements like, “I want chicken.” He has actually gotten pretty good at saying, “Mommy, can I have some Chocat milk,” especially when you ask what’s the magic word and he goes while giving you the pouty face, “Pease.” (yes I spelled that wrong on purpose because that is how he says it)
Now what we weren’t anticipating with teaching him to ask for things was how picky he is. “Daddy, can I have some Peanut Butter Pease?” So I go to the kitchen, grab a jar out of the cabinet and prepare to dip the spoon in when I hear him in the background, “No daddy, I don’t like that kind, I want that one” as he points at another jar hiding behind some other cans. If you know me at all you know that at this point I am cracking up laughing, but he is serious. “I don’t like that kind daddy, I want that one” as he starts to stomp his feet. In my mind I’m thinking, “Come on bud peanut butter is peanut butter.” The same thing is true with yogurt at our house. I don’t get it at all. If he is at Pap and Mema’s he will eat any yougurt, but at our place unless it is Dannon Vanilla Yogurt, he wants nothing to do with it. This is absurd! The other night we were finishing dinner and of course he wanted nothing to do with his green beans so I tried to compromise with him, “Eli, if you will eat 5 green beans you can have one of bubby’s cookies.” The response made Lindsey and I turn away to keep from laughing. He got inches from my face and said very seriously in his little 2 year old voice, “Daddy, I don’t need to try them to tell you I don’t like them.” Where is this coming from? Our kid knows what he wants and doesn’t want and he lets you know it. You might think it is absurd and laugh, (don’t worry it is what we do to). Also, please know Eli doesn’t always get his way. 
Spiritually speaking though it has me really thinking about prayer. We go to God in prayer with our requests before Him. Asking him for things in our lives thinking we know best. He answers, but then because we don’t like his answer we get upset with Him, “God, I don’t like that kind.” Hear me on this please and think about it. We pray for Him to be our provision. He answers with opening up a job opportunity for us. “God I don’t like this job.” We shake our fist at heaven, and we think he doesn’t care.. “God please allow me to date so and so.” It never comes about. Our instinctive answer, “God must want me to be unhappy.” Or how about this example, “God, I want you to bless me according to my definition of the word blessing, with a white picket fence and perfect family.”
We pout, we “tell him like it is” as some of you have shared with me your thoughts toward God, we think God is unloving, and the list goes on of our responses.
What I am learning in my own life with Eli is the difference between the words request and demand. Request is defined as: an act of asking politely or formally for something. On the other hand demand is defined as: to ask for forcefully, in a way that shows that refusal is not expected and will not be accepted.
Even though Eli is throwing out the word please like it is a request, it is more an absurd demand with a meltdown to follow if we dont meet what he wants.
(Disclaimer: Eli truly is an incredible kid so please dont take this as him being a terror, I am just using this as an analogy)
How many of us are the same way with God. Our requests are honestly demands, thinking we know what is best. Are we truly seeking Him in our prayers or demanding that he answers in the way we want. We may not always understand how God is working and moving in our prayers. Will you continue to trust him when he answers in ways you can’t comprehend or grasp.
To follow up with this take some time to read John 11 and think about the story of Jesus raising Lazarus.
“Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” -Garth Brooks