I pull up to the microphone box and place my order. In the short distance to the drive-thru window, I anticipate that when I reach the window, a server will greet me, lean from the window towards my car, and deliver my food to me. The ask and anticipation is pretty standard. It’s the drive-thru norm. We order from the menu, then expect to receive what we asked for. We ask, then we anticipate.
I am ninety-eight percent certain that the fast food server will deliver precisely what I asked for. However, I recently came to understand that I have far less confidence in God’s desire or ability to give me what I ask for. As with the drive-thru microphone box, I ask, yet my follow-up indicates that I’m not certain God will provide what has been promised. Yikes!
I noticed this unhealthy and harmful behavior as I watched a character on a TV show hustle, fight, scheme, and plot to manifest her dream, which happens to be similar to mine. I was reminded that I did not have to do any of what she had to do. Her struggle was extreme and excessive. In my case, not only did God offer me my dream, He also meticulously provided at every turn in order to manifest the dream. God was faithfully present in every detail, opening doors, sending people to help, and guiding me forward.
As I reflected on God’s faithfulness, I saw how my lack of faith caused me to needlessly labor and suffer. Many times, instead of asking and then anticipating God to deliver, I attempted to forge my way forward. This is like asking at the microphone box, then getting out of my car, going inside to the kitchen, leaving the kitchen to run next door to the grocery store to pick up extra ingredients, returning to the restaurant, cooking my own food, and then serving it to myself. You see, I am great at ordering from God’s menu but need to get significantly better at expecting God to give me precisely what I asked for.
I have committed too much time and energy — that could have been devoted to resting, listening, and abundantly living — to trying to figure out the hows, whens, whos, and wheres. For example, I realized I put specific expectations on my husband to help me meet goals. As my life partner, I assume he would be eager to participate. When his support doesn’t look the way I think it should, I become disappointed in him and frustrated with him. As a result, resentment and criticism begin to cloud my vision. False expectations, disappointment, resentment, and criticism are never a part of what God offers or what I ask for, yet I invite them to my experience.
Jesus taught His disciples that when they are aligned with God’s will, they can ask and confidently anticipate that God will give them what they requested. He said in John 15:7, “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!”
When we abide in Jesus and align ourselves with God’s will, then our requests will align with God’s vision for our lives.
Abide.
Ask.
Anticipate.
It’s just that simple — as simple as the drive-thru. According to Jesus, when I am ordering from God’s menu, I can expect my requests to be met. I place the order and anticipate that God will give me what I asked for. This is God’s normal. Surely, this can be my normal, too.
I really want to have just as much, if not more, confidence in God’s willingness to give me what I ask for as I have in the drive-thru process. I want to leave behind the unhealthy and harmful behavior of asking for a God-sized dream then attempting to manifest it myself, while hurting others in the process. Instead of placing God-sized expectations on people, I want to always look to God for the ask and first for help. God is fully capable of providing for His vision for my life. He will even invite people to help me. When I put my expectation in God, I will not be disappointed in people.
May we have more confidence in God’s faithfulness than we have in the drive-thru process. May we faithfully abide, ask, and anticipate so that we can rest in God’s assurance. May God’s normal be our normal.
Wow! Thank you for this thought-provoking message. May I remember to place my expectations in God, not man, and truly believe that He is ready and willing to answer my requests.
Hi Judyc.
You’re welcome. Thank you for reading. As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB
Oh Lucretia you are preaching to the choir here! Dear Lord forgive my asking & running ahead to help You! Enable me to Abide. Ask. Anticipated You!!! He is faithful & I am forgetful. Improve my memory!!! Lucretia, thank you for this great example of my heart struggle. Blessings!!!
Hi Ruth!
Thank you for reading and for praying! Honestly, I am glad to know that I am not the only one.
As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB
Hello Young Soldiers, it’s a beautiful morning and I thank our Creator for allowing me to know His Plans for my life through my faith in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
You and I have been positioned in a time where Hope, Faith, Trust, Obedience, Expectations from God instead of people are a part of our every day Christian Walk. I am great at asking for what my children need and want but then I forget to ask God to help me listen for His voice in all scenarios. Yes, God can do anything but fail. But why are we ambassadors, even with our children and our family? We are to stand in Faith, Patience and Obedience as God works out our answers to our prayers, petitions, requests and expectations. Now, are we positioned emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually for what we asked for in this situation? Think about it, we start asking for Christmas gifts in January and we have to wait for that day to arrive. Yes, it takes a very long time. Well, I am reminded that time belongs to God. A delay in time is not “no” but we have to keep praying and waiting with a great and thankful attitude.
Well Young Soldiers, we have assignments every day because we are ambassadors. We can’t stop loving, forgiving, believing and being kind, sweet and gentle with our families and others while we are waiting for our prayers to be answered. We are to stand strong on God’s foundation of Love. He loves His children more than our human minds can comprehend so we believe it by Faith. We love our children and we want them to trust in our decision making for them without resistance. God is our Heavenly Father and He is a good, good Father.
Please pray for strength and joyfulness as we wait on God’s Plans for our every day lives.
The days seem to arrive so swiftly now that I am a grownup. Where has the time gone? The same place it went to for our parents. Smile
Let’s not get weary in doing good things for others because we will see a harvest if we don’t give up.
Enjoy your day.
Brenda
Your Fellow Soldier and
Sister in Christ
Thank you for your words.
Hi Brenda!
Thank you so much for your encouragement! Your point about how we will ask on behalf of our children, but then forget about ourselves really resonated with me. As you stated, God can do anything but fail!!! I am grateful.
Thank you for reading.
As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB
Great article! And so true. You described how I feel much of the time. God has led me so far. Better to be thankful and faithful! Knowing he will meet our needs.
Hi Debbie.
I am glad to know that my words resonated with you.
Thank you for reading.
As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB
Oh how I needed this. We forget with out little pea brains!! Thank you for this reminder. You are a Godsend. God is so faithful we just have to remember. Thank you again for this message.
Hi Sharon!
I literally laughed out loud when I read ‘with our pea brains!’ Thank you for the laugh and the encouragement.
And thank you for reading.
As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB
Great analogy Lucretia!
Your words, “When I put my expectation in God, I will not be disappointed in people”, resonates well with me. Thank you for that confirmation.
I am so glad that my words resonated with you!
Thank you for reading.
As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB
Definitely food for thought, Lucretia! Thank you.
Hi Irene!
The comparison really helped me see myself in a way that needed to be exposed. I am learning and changing.
Thank you for reading.
As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB
Oh my goodness….”It’s just that simple”….
“When we abide in Jesus and align ourselves with God’s will, then our requests will align with God’s vision for our lives”
He just put your words in my morning as this “blessed simple reminder” \0/
Thank you Lucretia
Hi Janet!
I am so glad that my words resonated with you this morning!
Thank you for reading.
As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB
This was timed perfectly to get my day started on a positive note. I tackled a project last night. I “asked” and “anticipated” God’s help as I worked through it. I actually felt His encouragement to stick with it and He stuck with me. I woke this morning giving Him thanks. Your words reflect sound reflection and encouragement.
Hi Christine!
I am grateful for God’s timing and how He’s always on time. I am so glad that my words resonated with you and encouraged you!
Thank you for reading.
As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB
Lucretia,
I think the problem lies with God’s timing. We want whatever it is now. When He takes time to give it to us we feel we have to rush ahead & help Him out. Silly us. Like you said we just need to abide in Him, align our wills to His, ask Him & anticipate that He will definitely deliver.
I remember praying for God to take momma home as she was bedridden with dementia. It was a long two year battle before He took her. In the interim dad would read the Bible daily & decided to talk with my pastor. Long story short dad got baptized. He started coming to church with me & hubby. So you see God will answer your requests in His timing. He knows what lies ahead.
Blessings 🙂
Beth!
You are so right!! God is not bound by our timing. Thank you so much for sharing your story about your mother and father. God is in the sorry and the joy — the pain and the beauty.
Thank you for reading.
As we align with God, may we ask for and anticipate His promises.
Shalom
LCB