My Morning Prayer: The Promises of Prayer, 4

My Morning Prayer: The Promises of Prayer, 4
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Promises
When I was a little boy I wasn’t encouraged to pray, I was encouraged to make wishes. One evening, after dinner, someone handed me a bone.
“Here, grab one end of this bone.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a wish bone.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, first you make a wish. Then you pull on your end of the bone while I pull on the other end. If you get the big end when the bone breaks then your wish will come true.”

The idea of wishing for things to happen became reinforced when I found out I could make a wish before I blew out my birthday candles (I also learned that if I told someone what my wish was, it wouldn’t come true.) When I started going to the movies I heard Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, both tell me through a song, that I could wish upon a star and my dreams would come true.

The idea of children wishing for their dreams to come true may sound silly, but some carry this idea with them into adulthood and can confuse it with prayer. Prayer is not another way to have “all our dreams come true.” Prayer is about speaking to the living God, Our Heavenly Father, bringing our requests to Him, and believing that He hears and answers us in agreement with His will and for His glory.

Here are three important things that can move us away from fantasy, and bring us into the reality of answered prayer…

Know the promises-God has spoken promises to us. Those promises are recorded in Scripture so we can know what is in His heart toward us. His promises will keep us from praying amiss. His promises are not fleeting words of emotion, they are words of truth. Without the truth of His promises we could be overcome with superstition, timidity, and anxiety. It is because of His promises that we can live a life of freedom, confidence, and contentment.

Pray the promises-In addition to the importance of knowing God’s promises is the importance of praying His promises. Bible translations are like car models, each one is a little different in style, but they all have this in common—you must insert the key (faith) and put your foot on the gas (obedience) in order to get somewhere. A car doesn’t help you if you keep it in the garage and keep the key in your pocket. Prayer is like turning the key and putting the promises into motion (Luke 11:9-13).

Trust the heart of the Promise Giver-We will not have the confidence we need to pray unless we trust in the character of the One who has spoken the promises. Often, people who make promises to us also tell us to trust them. They may be sincere in their request, but even the best intentions are flawed by human weakness, forgetfulness, and limited resources.  There are no flaws in God’s character and no empty words in His promises. We can be thankful, that as we ask for our daily bread, we do not call upon a God with human weaknesses or limitations, but upon the One who loves us with a perfect love and has promised to supply all our needs from His glorious riches which have been given to us in Jesus Christ.

The words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over (Psalm 12:6 AMP).

God has spoken in His holiness [in His promises]: I will rejoice, I will divide and portion out [the land] Shechem and the Valley of Succoth [west to east] (Psalm 60:6 AMP).

[Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (Psalm 92:14-15 AMP).

In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self. All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord, for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled] (Psalm 138:3-4 AMP).

…Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; (Romans 9:4 NKJV).

Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty." Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 6:17-18, 7:1 NKJV).

That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12 NKJV).

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

My Sweetest Lord Jesus, thank you that you are a God who keeps your promises to us, and not prone to human flaws. As I come to you this morning, help my words be genuine needs and not wishes, full of trust and vulnerability. Help me to be needy in my requests and not full of fluff or pride. Continue to teach me the value of communicating with you, sitting with you, holding you near. Above all else, I want your will for my life. In Jesus's name I humbly pray...amen.
 
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©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.