“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” – Jeremiah 33:3
If you had Aladdin’s magic lamp, what would be your three wishes? Would you ask for money? Love? Health? Fame? Maybe you would be a bit more noble and ask for world peace or the end of global warming. Some might even ask for extra wishes, but of course, that’s not allowed in the world of wishing!
In some ways, wishing is akin to praying. Wishing means to have a strong desire for something that is not easily accessible. Similarly, praying is defined as strongly hoping for something or a particular outcome. Yet, while they may have some similarities, there are definite differences between the two.
When I wish for something, it is an arbitrary thought for which I really have no basis to expect it to come to fruition. A wish is like a whisper on the wind. It is a thought that is there one moment, then gone the next. There is no tangible destination for a wish. When I blow out my birthday candles and make a wish, it simply vanishes into thin air. Likewise, when I see a falling star and make a wish, I have no real expectation of that wish coming true.
On the other hand, prayer is a specifically directed thought aimed toward the heart of God, and the expectation is for Him to answer. When people pray, God listens, and when He listens, He acts. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)
Prayer is also limitless. The Bible reminds us to “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Unlike wishes, we are not restricted to only three prayers. God wants us to share everything on our hearts with Him. Why? Because He loves us, and He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
God promises that if we pray, He will show us great and mighty things. Through answered prayer, God’s power and glory is displayed. “I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:” (Job 5:8-9)
When Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil was torn in half, giving us access to the throne of God, so we can pray in confidence. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,” and again in Matthew 21:22, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” The only caveat is that we ask in faith, according to God’s will (1 John 5:14), and then we can know that He will answer, and it will be in the manner that is best for those concerned.
We don’t need an Aladdin’s lamp; we have God. All we need is a humble spirit, a trusting heart, and a prayer of faith to see the great and mighty things of the Lord!
I must tell Jesus all of my trials,
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me,
He ever loves and cares for His own.
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
(from “I Must Tell Jesus) by Elisha A. Hoffman)
“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” – Jeremiah 29:12
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“Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.” – John Bunyan