Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Throughout my years, I’ve come to realize something about my prayer requests. Sometimes, they are answered and sometimes they are not. And I ask myself, why?

In some cases, I believe it’s because I’m sending God mixed messages with my requests.

In reality, do I believe that God can take care of ALL my prayer requests? Yes, I do but my actions say otherwise.

Mark 10:27 NKJV
27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26 NKJV
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

All things are possible with God, but then why do I struggle believing that?

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 NKJV
For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Against the knowledge of God…do you see that? I have the knowledge of God but for some reason, I don’t believe. I’d rather call a ‘professional’ to help me than to go to God with my issue.

And here in 2 Cor 10:5, I can bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish disobedience.

Notice, this says ‘obedience’ and punish ‘disobedience’…instead, we’re justifying our thoughts and accepting them as truth.

For example, I feel a cold coming on. My first thought is: do I have medicine to easy my symptoms? When my first thought should have been to say: Jesus You are Lord over this sickness and I do not accept this sickness into my life. And whatever I’ve done to allow this in, I forgive that and ask You to forgive it as well. Shut the door on this sickness in the Name of Jesus.

Mark 11:24 NKJV
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Once I ask God to forgive it, it is finished! I just need to leave it there but sometimes I become impatient and try to take it back because He’s taking “forever” to handle the matter. Isn’t this a mixed message?

Sometimes, we also need to wait on the Lord after we give it to Him.

Galatians 5:1-6 NKJV
Stand[a] fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is [b]a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

You see, he said to ‘stand’. First word in Galatians 5:1. But, our minds like to go back to ‘taking care of the problem’ ourselves or believing in a way to handle it ourselves. Almost like, God, I got this. Never mind.
Grace is clearly a gift from God and yet we do everything we can to go back to the law where we are told what not to do. Living by the law is not living in Christ liberty.

But Grace gives us liberty. We have the liberty to say we’re forgiven and to ask our Lord for anything and He will give it. We need to remember this and leave it with Him.

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Ahhh – here is the crux of the matter. We need to have faith…another words, we need to believe that God is more than capable of taking care of the issue. And we need to have that patience with Him as He handles the problem.

So, how do we show God that we have faith, which will PLEASE Him. Pleasing God should be a priority. I don’t know about you but I fear Him who has my eternity in His hands. That means, it’s a priority in my heart to please Him.

Mark 9:23-24 NKJV
23 Jesus said to him, “If[d] you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

It starts by going to God and telling Him we have a problem with believing in Him. Jesus showed us how to pray and it starts with that.

Matthew 6:6-15 NKJV
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [c]openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. [d]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Notice the first thing Jesus says: go into your room and shut your door in the secret place. Start there.

Remember, Psalm 91:1 NKJV
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

What you do in the secret place with the Lord, He will reward in the open.

And you don’t have to use vain repetitions or many words. Get to your ‘ask’ because God already knows your petition.

But in this moment of asking, humble yourself and acknowledge who God is through your prayer. Hallow Him. Put His kingdom first, His will first, ask that your needs are met, and forgive yourself and others. Even ask Him to build your faith and to help you believe that He is more than possible to take care of your issue.

James 5:14-16 NKJV
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 [j]Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, [k]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

If you are sick, then go to the elders of your church and let them pray over you.

Here’s the point of this teaching: believe, ask God, and wait on the Lord.

Read what this Psalmist said:
Psalm 27:7-14 NKJV
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me. 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living. 14 Wait[e] on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

In this Psalmist case, he had accusers and adversaries around him…don’t we all? He also said he would have lost heart unless he had ‘believed’ or another words had ‘faith’.

He acknowledged that he had to go to the Lord first acknowledging the issue and giving it to Him. Then he reiterated ‘wait on the Lord’.

Don’t take your situations that you have given to God out of His hands. Leave them there and wait. He will take care of the matter.

When you take them out of His hands and try to take care of the situation yourself that’s telling God, “um, hey listen God, I don’t have patience and can’t wait for you to take care this…so I will take care of it myself.”

That’s a mixed message to God!

Stop sending mixed messages to the Lord with your actions. Give it to Him and wait on Him.