Dissatisfaction... Is God's answered prayer enough for you?

Let’s be honest friends, we all struggle with wanting what we don’t have.  We aren’t always satisfied with what the Lord has blessed us with. In line with yesterday’s blog post on being discontent, today's post is about how the Lord is also showing me how dissatisfied and I have been in the answers he has given me for certain prayers.  In reading the Resolution for Women, the Lord is showing me that he has already provided everything that I need, and if it is not in my life, there is something that he is trying to teach me, or a foundational principal that he is trying to firm up.  I had an experience with this very subject, this week, that opened my eyes more than I could have ever imagined.

Like yesterday’s post where I talked about the fact that I had been being discontent in the circumstances of  where I was in my life, and had spent the last few months dating hoping that “God would bless me," I found that the Lord was allowing me to become discouraged and even depressed from my discontentment.  Although I was praying for major changes in my life and my prayers were very specific, they weren’t lining up with the actions I was taking in my life.  I was praying for an amazing Godly man,  the one who would know how to lead me as a woman, the one that had a desire to pray for and with me, the one who wanted to grow in the Lord together , and would protect my heart as he pointed me to the Lord and not pulled me to himself. I was also praying for the Lord to protect me from relationships that I was not ready for and to send a godly friend into my life.  However despite all the time I had spent praying for these specific things,   I allowed men into my life over the last few months that were not godly men.  It doesn’t mean that they were bad people, most of them were even Christians, but they weren’t actively seeking a relationship with Jesus and growing to be men after God’s own heart.

And then it happened…. I was just sure that God was answering my prayer and I knew exactly which one it was he had answered when, a Godly man walked into my life, we connected, we had so much in common, we both loved the Lord and wanted to glorify him, but I still wasn’t completely content..  I had been praying for a Godly friend to encourage me, and yet when someone walked into my life and did that very thing I wanted more.  I wanted validation that he thought I was someone special, I wanted a first date,  but sometimes those things just don’t work out the way we plan.  He seemed to be perusing me and I was so happy, at least I thought, until circumstances changed, and our first date got  cancelled,  I was devastated, I questioned what was wrong with me, what I had done wrong, why he didn’t like me, what had changed.  I let Satan run wild in my head.

But yet, this godly man never quit encouraging me, and in fact when I was able to step back and see the big picture I realized how much he was protecting me from rushing into something we both weren’t sure was God’s will.  Over the next few days our conversations turned from ourselves and the thoughts of dating, to the Lord and serving him, bettering ourselves, becoming a more godly man and godly woman. We talked for hours about church, and ministry opportunities and the reality of the gospel.  I realized the other night that God had answered my prayer, He had sent me a godly friend, someone who would spur me toward the cross. That would encourage me in sharing what Jesus had done for me, someone who made me realize waiting for the relationship that the Lord has for me is the only way to make things work, and who knows, maybe one day he and I can revisit those dating converstations. :)

I realized God was using these conversations to soften my heart to bring me back to a place where I would fully surrender all parts of my life and my will to him.  The desire I have seen in my life change for the word and prayer, has amazed me, the Lord flashed something in front of my eyes that I thought I wanted and turned it into something I desperately needed.  Who are we to question what God is doing.   Sometimes he doesn’t allow us to have things in our lives that we want, because he is working on strengthening up the foundation of our spiritual lives, so, that when he blesses us with things or people in our lives, we are ready to handle them in a way that is fully glorifying only to Him.

I realize God knows best, he has plans for us, that is a promise you can stand on.  When you think God is not answering your prayer, take a step back and refocus.  Is he providing for  the need in another way.  Is he telling you to wait so he can work on you first?  Is he telling you no flat out because it’s something that is not good or even harmful for you. 

I suggest writing out your prayers in bullet points and putting them somewhere you can see them, so that you can pray fervently for your desires and can see when God does answer…, GOD WILL ANSWER in his time and in his will.  Rest easy on that promise sweet friend.  Knowing that God is answering your prayers will help you become more fully content in him