Last week, we discussed prayer. This week’s blog post follows in the same vein but from a different angle. When we pray, we must do so with expectation. Do not just mumble words to God without having any hope of it coming into fulfillment. Always be expectant. For clarification, faith is different from expectation. Faith is trust in God. It is believing that He has the ability or “can-power” to do that which you have asked. Expectation is believing it will happen and preparing for it. “Expectation” in this post refers to hope.
When we pray to God, we must not just have faith that He can do it, we must also be expectant and ready to receive those answers. If you call a friend but he or she doesn’t pick up, you know that the person can call back but what shows you are expecting the phone call is when you keep the phone close to you. So it is with our prayer life. The only reason why you would go to the place of prayer and claim to not have heard God speak is that you are not expecting to hear His voice. As long as you are a child of God, you are on talking terms with God and He is ever ready to speak to you. (Jeremiah 33:3). When you pray, don’t just believe He has the ability to talk back, expect to hear from Him too. Many Christians miss out on hearing God’s voice, not because they didn’t have faith but because they weren’t expectant.
As long as you are a child of God, you are on talking terms with God and He is ever ready to speak to you.
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Having an expectation or hope is in alignment with God’s will. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God wants us to always look forward to something (good) because this keeps us moving forward.
The scripture refers to God as the God of all hope. Therefore it is safe to conclude that hope is a characteristic of God. And if as He is in heaven so we are on earth, then we must live in hope. You can tell that God is in agreement with this because The Holy Spirit even helps us to abound in hope. (Rom 15:13)
When you pray with expectation, you are more likely to receive answers. Romans 5:5 tells us that hope does not put us to shame. When you pray to God, expect to get answers. Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Faith should produce hope in us. Ordinarily, wherever there is faith, hope should follow (1 Cor 13:3). Why many of us find our faith weak is because we do not back it with expectations. Expectation fuels faith. The strength of faith is hope. Faith with expectations always brings great results. The woman with the issue of blood is an example of someone who had both faith (that Jesus could heal her) and expectation (that she would be healed). She touched Jesus’ garment with the expectation of healing and it was so for her.
“Hope does not put us to shame“
Romans 5;5
This is why you can be very versed in the Scriptures, knowing the entire bible from cover to cover but still lack its manifestation in your life. You must not only know God can, but you must also expect He will. So when you quote scriptures that tell you your needs are met, be hopeful that it will be so. Wake up each morning expectant of God’s blessings. Go to work each day expectant of God’s protection.
The greatest expectation every believer should have is that of the rapture. The second coming of our Lord Jesus is imminent and we must be expecting it. Living with the expectation of this helps us to live aright and even pray aright. The scriptures already reveal the fate of every believer and that is, to be caught up in the air when Jesus comes 1 Thess 4:17. When you are living your life expecting to make heaven (since you are a believer living by God’s precepts), your prayers would be more “heaven” centered than “fear of missing it” centered. Christ Jesus is our hope of this glory –Colossians 1:27 (Titus 2:13 Rom 8:23-25 Titus 1:1-3)
Dear believer, how do you pray? With or without expectation. Remember Proverbs 23:18 which says “For surely there is a reward, and thine expectation shall not be cut off”. Let this motivate you to pray with hope.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23
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