When’s the last time you observed a temper tantrum? I saw one just the other day in the middle of a coffee shop. This little boy was communicating with tears, yells, and the occasional triple-hop in order to get his point across. The parents calmly took him outside, much to his displeasure, and walked him away. This was how we all communicated at one point in our lives. Is it the appropriate way? No. But he’ll learn that with time.

The interesting thing to me was that he didn’t use words. He created a scene through jumps and points and screams. It was the best way he knew to “land his plane.” And the parents knew that what he wanted wasn’t what was best, so instead of obliging his request, they removed him from the situation. How often do we do this with the Lord?

I John 5:14-15 says, “And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him, and since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know He will give us what we ask for.” This verse, at first glance, sounds amazing. Does it not? I’ve been through a few seasons where I’ve been quite disappointed as to how things turned out and what seemed to be the lack I was living in. I’m also a verbal processor, so for my poor friends and family this has meant some long talks about that disappointment, followed by rounds two and three – I appreciate you patient warriors out there. You know who you are.

I had a friend ask me once, “are you asking for what you want?” It was a sobering question. One that brought me down from the height of my emotions and I was forced to give the honest reply of, “no, not specifically.” I had been jumping and screaming and crying as to why things weren’t the way they should be. And there is a place for lament and sorrow, absolutely. But what I was failing to do was come to the Lord in prayer and relay specifically what was on my heart.

John assures us that God is listening to our prayers, and that when we ask for things in line with His will, then He will give us what we ask for. This of course begs the question of how do we know if it’s God’s will? Well, this is where the power of prayer comes into play. We have to remember that we are not throwing words to the sky when we are praying, we are literally praying to the God of the universe. This God has the power to move in us, to provide for us, and to shape and mold our affections.

The practice of letting God know what you want via prayer is a process that doesn’t start and stop with the mentioned thing. It’s a heart-transformative encounter. By verbally relaying our wants and needs to the Lord, we are expressing our heart’s current state. The act of prayer is an acknowledgement that God can truly provide. So, there is a submission factor at play here. This is the crucial point. By believing that God is the source of provision, we are also acknowledging that God knows what provision is best for us.

Therefore, as we bring our requests to the Lord, we can be confident that if there is a request that is outside of His desire for us, He is faithful to reveal that to us. This is a process of communication between us and Him. It rarely happens overnight, but as we continue to discuss the things that are on our hearts and the things that we desire, He begins to work in and through the things we want and need. He shapes us, as a Potter shapes the clay.

There’s a very clear challenge here. Not getting what we want in the moment that we want it is not an easy experience. It’s one that very easily catalyzes a spiritual temper tantrum. All logic flies out the window because we are consumed with not receiving the thing we want in the timing and the way we want it.

I’ve been the kid cry-jumping in the coffee shop more times than I care to admit as I relate to the Lord. But what if, like that little boy’s parents, God truly does have a better idea of what’s best for us than we do for ourselves. If this is true, then give me your will Lord. And where my wants, needs, and desires do not line up with Your will – mold them, shape them, and change them. Friends, if this has hit anywhere near your heart today, join me in praying this prayer. “Lord, where I don’t, help me to want to want what You want (re-read this slowly word-by-word) – point my affections towards You, Jesus. I acknowledge that Your ways are higher than my ways. Amen.”