Be careful what you pray for????

I am a great "worrier." I can worry about anything - real or imagined. And sometimes, I worry about what might happen if A happens and B happens and C happens and because of A, B, and C then D happens. . . . . third and fourth generation worries! My grandfather reminded me recently that if that's what I do I would spend the rest of my life worrying! What a waste of life that would be!

Have you ever heard the saying "be careful what you wish for?" The implication is that sometimes you might wish for something that would have unforeseen consequences you might regret. I have even found myself worrying about how/what to pray for! For example, if I pray for this, will something else worse happen to allow my prayer to be answered or will I have to go through something terrible to get it answered.

Last Saturday God gave me an example that has comforted my heart. My daughter had two baseball games scheduled on Saturday morning. I had half-jokingly, half-seriously said I was praying for rain after the first game so that the second game would get rained out. I did pray that week for rain. The team played well in the first game and only lost by one run. As soon as the first game was over, it began to rain. My prayer was answered! Well, it was a quick shower and they started the second game. But, our team was warmed up and focused from the first game. So, they played exceptionally well in the second game and won!

I thought the best thing for them was a rain-out but God knew it was a win instead. He answered my prayer. It DID rain between games. He also did what was best, allowing them to keep playing and win the second game. I know this seems like a trivial thing but for me it was a "light bulb" moment. I CAN pray confidently - praying for specific requests and trusting God to answer in His wisdom. He will ALWAYS do what glorifies His name AND is for MY GOOD. He is in control, even of my prayers. I can leave my worries at the cross.