God is in the habit of answering our prayers. Aren't you glad! A lot of times we might not recognize that answer especially when we are praying for our own character to be changed. Why? Because God often answers our prayers by presenting us with difficult people or circumstances to make us like we asked to be.
We pray for patience and then are confronted by demanding people.
We pray to be more loving and the most unlovable people enter our lives.
We pray to be generous and suddenly there are all these needs we know about.
We pray for more faith and we lose our job or the stock market tanks or we - or our child - get critically ill.
We pray to be more obedient and suffering comes, which is how Jesus learned obedience.
We pray to be more Christ-like and we are asked to clean toilets or sweep floors rather than some more "important" task. Think Jesus washing the disciples feet.
Why does God do this? Because it is through the trials, the hardships, the opportunities that we are able to build the character qualities we asked for. God knows becoming more like Christ is through experience. If we really want to be like Christ we will recognize God's teaching, changing purposes and accept the trials of life - even if we didn't pray for them.
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