"With an Expectant Heart" Reflections, May 5, 2013

Reflections May 5^th, 2013

“With an Expectant Heart”

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

Scripture Reading For This Week: Isaiah 28; Isaiah 51; Micah 7; Luke 6; James 5...

With an expectant heart, filled with joy and peace, I wait for the Lord to fulfill His promises concerning my life. Regardless to whom or what I may face; I wait with an expectant heart that whatever God has spoken concerning my life IS coming to pass. While I wait, I pray, and I do whatever the Father asks of me. I am about my Father's business. For, I am certain He is about mine.

I declare and decree that this week's Reflections will be a constant source of encouragement for your heart, soul, and mind. With an expectant heart, wait on the Lord and follow His directions. God has already worked things out for your good. Keep praying and believing. God is just getting started!

When you have experienced much disappointment in your life, it is easy to become jaded when it comes to receiving good news. You tend to lean more towards the side of pessimism, rather than optimism. When you hear a word from the Lord; when some good news or promise of something great occurring; because of your past experiences, or seeming delay in your prayers being answered—you may find yourself doubting the good news. Your heart no longer expects the greatness of God being fulfilled. Instead, you automatically begin to doubt the word, as negative thoughts seep through your mind then come forth from your mouth.

I understand. I have been there. There are some of us that do not even want to pray anymore. We have been fooled into believing that prayer does not work. The devil is a lie! Prayer still works. And when you pray with an expectant heart, believing that God has not only heard you but has answered, you with stand strong and wait on the Lord to deliver His promises. There will be no doubt. And your heart will increase in its expectancy of the promises of God.

How do I know? Because I am living it! I am living proof of wanting something so bad, and believing what God has spoken to you, then going through a dark period where it seems that God is silent, and not one single prayer is being answered. It is as if God had abandoned me, and Heaven was closed to my prayers and my cries. But I have learned that during those silent times, God is moving mightily on my behalf. He is doing something so phenomenal that it goes far beyond what I even asked Him! Hallelujah!

Let me tell you something, Beloved—Prayer Still Works! No matter what the circumstance or situation is dictating, it will never outweigh or speak louder than the voice of God and what He has promised and ordained for your life. It is imperative that we keep an expectant heart concerning the promises of God. That, we are constantly meditating on His word. Feeding our souls from the Book of Life. Speaking to ourselves what God has spoken concerning us. Surrounding ourselves with like minded people. Being strong in our convictions concerning our faith. And when we pray, pray fervently and with all sincerity and belief.

James 5:16b-18 “The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.” (Message Bible)

We must pray according to what God has ordained. I have learned that there are things we ask of God that are not for us, not good for us, or to us. We have desires for things that have not been sanctioned by our Father. It is not in His will for us; yet we fight, whine, plead to have it, and get mad when God does not give us what we want. The expectant heart that yearns for God's will shall receive. The expectant heart that waits for his own will to be done will run into disappointment and heartache.

James 4:1-6 1-2 Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. 2-3 You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way. 4-6 You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.” (Message Bible)

What's in your heart today? Do you have an expectant heart? Do you believe that what God has spoken concerning your life is coming to pass? Do you KNOW what God has spoken concerning your life? Maybe that's where many of us lose heart and focus—we don't know what God has spoken concerning our lives. If this is so, then it's time to find out. It's time to seek the face of God and find out what He has ordained for you. Then once you know, you will know what to expect and what to pray and fight for! Trust: we are in a war against the enemy. And if you don't know what you are fighting for, then how can you fight your best fight? How can you give your all to something you know nothing of? ASK THE FATHER. God will tell you. Prayer still works! Seek His face early. Look to the Lord and trust in Him; for He has the answers you seek. And when you find them, keep an expectant heart for that which God has ordained just for you!

I decree that the spirit of peace and of prosperity will find permanent rest in your life: spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and financially. Let your heart be filled with expectancy for the things of God. Believe in what the Father has spoken concerning you. Walk in His truth. Walk in your truth. Seek God with all your heart, mind and soul. And know that a delay is not a denial. God has the absolute best for you! And there is indeed power in your prayers! You are Blessed. Now go...and Be a Blessing!

©2013. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.