Investing Prayer

I've heard other young adults mention that they are saving money every month toward a down payment on a house. I wish I could do that, too. I remember the days when, if I wanted to buy something, all I had to do was "save up" my money for long enough. It might take a while, but I knew I could get there eventually. In middle school, when I wanted to visit Disneyland more often than just every few years, I saved my allowance and birthday money and worked at my mother's-helper job for enough hours until I could buy annual passes for my mom, my two sisters, and me. Back then, dedication and focus were enough to accumulate the money for anything I was dreaming of.

Money hasn't come nearly so easily in my adult life. Usually, I find myself praying for just enough to cover essentials. I wish we could finagle our funds such that we could save toward big goals, but that hasn't been an option so far.

So I came up with a different idea. It's so tempting to limit my aspirations to what seems possible. It's so easy to look at our financial situation and think, "I just hope God provides what we need right now. I don't dare ask for more." But God doesn't want us to limit our relationship with Him. He tells us that all things are possible with Him; He compares Himself to a father who desires to give only good things to his children.

So I've decided that, while I can't save up money toward a house, I'm going to invest prayer. I'm going to spend a few minutes a day talking to Him about my desire to eventually live in a house. He can do all things, and I don't want to assume that He won't answer a prayer of mine, even if it seems impossible from my limited perspective.

I recently heard a story in a podcast that encouraged my resolve in this area. Sally Clarkson is one of my favorite podcasters. She often speaks of her adventures raising four children who are now young adults.

The other day I heard Sally describing a years-long prayer request that her children steadfastly lifted up before God. Having read and watched Anne of Green Gables as a family, the kids wanted to visit Prince Edward Island, the site of the stories. Sally didn't foresee ever having such a trip in the family budget, but she told the children to ask God about it. Some years passed, and they continued to ask God for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In the mean time, Sally and her husband, Clay, were holding conferences and traveling as speakers as part of their ministry to parents. Unexpectedly, they got an offer from a church in Canada to come and speak. The church did not have the funds to pay an honorarium to Sally and Clay, but they offered to give them frequent-flyer miles to make the trip doable for all six family members. Moreover, the church was very close to Prince Edward Island, and they would have the opportunity to stay for free on the island and explore there for several days. Truly, God had heard their prayer!

This story reminds me that God can do many things that we don't expect, and just because something doesn't seem likely now doesn't mean that we shouldn't pray and wait. I want to believe in the God Who brought forth all of creation by His Word, the God Who "calls those things which do not exist as though they exist" (Romans 4:17). I am putting my faith in God's infinite power when I trust that He does not scorn my prayers, and that I can safely place my requests in His loving care.