Praying the Lord’s Will

This is the confidence we have before Him, that,
if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

1 John 5:14 (NLT)

We have a beloved four-legged family member named Avalanche. During a thunderstorm, he will either stick by my side or jump in my lap and shake uncontrollably. I pet him, draw him close, and calmly and lovingly repeat, “It’s okay, bud. It’s a thunderstorm and won’t hurt you.” Avalanche comes to me because he knows I’m safe; yet, he continues to shake despite my reassurance. He’s focusing on the loudness and scariness of the storm and not on the whispers of my voice. Even though my tone is soft and calming, he doesn’t have the knowledge that I have about the reality: it’s just a storm and though it’s frightening, I have the ability to protect him. Life is hard and it is painful, but God doesn’t cause suffering. Jesus is the Creator of Life, not death. Yet, this side of heaven, pain is our reality and we often respond like Avalanche in the thunderstorm. We run to God because we know He’s safe, but we often don’t hear His voice, understand what He’s saying, or trust Him to protect us. Most of the time, we don’t expect the pain, so we are shocked when it happens. Maybe we need to change our expectations. Instead of questioning God’s intentions during the frightening, painful moments, maybe we should be praying for more grace to carry us tomorrow.