Prayer is Not the Master Key

Growing up, I was made to believe that prayer is the master key. As a matter of fact, there was a song that we used to sing a lot back then; (inserts grin) I am sure you are singing the song in your head as I am writing this.

With time, I have come to learn that if we do not understand what we need to live a full life, we will be praying amiss. When the disciples needed guidance, they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. He laid out the guidelines for prayer which helped them to understand how to pray. But we must be specific with the points of our prayers to God.

God is not a magician; He works according to our ability to handle what it is He is giving to us.

Your ability to understand your prayer points is what determines whether those prayers will become your master key to succeed or if they will be on the line of prayers that need to be answered.

Many times we go to God with the mindset of praying for the things we perceive as not working in our lives, and we ask Him to work His magic and fix these things. How many times have we analyzed these things that we are praying for and considered how they fit into God’s divine plan for our lives?

I remember before I migrated to the United States I had completed my secondary education and written my JAMB exam (the examination required to gain admission into a university in my home country). I passed the cut-off, so I was expecting to be on the first and second list of my chosen university. Alas, I was not admitted. The first year went by, so did the second and third year... still no admission. At this point, of course, I was getting seriously frustrated at the delay and I was asking God to do it for me because, welp, all my mates were already in the university and when they come back, I just felt left behind.

Immediately, I went into stress mode and started praying for admission into the university. Don't get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with wondering why thing are not happening as you hoped. However, there is everything wrong in making those things that are not working take over every other thing in your life to the point where you do not even see the things that are working as well.

More than 10 years later, I am realizing that if, at that time in my life when I felt I was being delayed, I had sat down and asked God what He had planned for my life five years down the line, a lot of mistakes and moves I made after those times could have been avoided. I would have soaked myself in a relationship with God to the point where we would be inhaling and exhaling together, but I was none the wiser.

When things are not going as you expect them to go, instead of praying for God to fix it and make a way for you and make things work out in your favor, turn the tide and start asking God what He wants you to learn during this period.

Engage God in a conversation that is meaningful to your growth and fulfilling your purpose on earth. Remember, prayer is not the master key, understanding the prayer point for your growth and fulfillment is the master key.

Do not pray amiss; pray to get your result.

Adeola is an hopeless romantic who sees everything from love's perspective. Her passions include cooking, writing, and making friends.