When God Answers Prayer

As I mentioned yesterday I am in a bible study right now with an amazing group of women.  

At the end of our sessions we always ask if anyone has any prayer requests.  When no one spoke up our “leader” said, “So your lives are all perfect?”  I said, “Well I guess Keith has a job interview and it might be a better job than he has now.”  So we added that to the prayer list - better employment.  

I have been praying that things just change.  Whatever that looks like just help us make the changes that we need to make.  

So during my quiet time earlier this week I could not focus.  These thoughts just kept swimming around in my head and reading the bible was quickly becoming impossible.  I pulled out my journal and started emptying the thoughts.  

-- We closed out our storage unit.   Now saving that entire bill.

-- We switched our phone plans.  That is almost cut in half.

-- We are now saving $xxx on just those bills.  Why are we still seeming to be sinking?

-- God is providing for all of our needs.  Except getting a place of our own.  What is going on?

-- Could it be that you are doing the same things that got you into the situation you are in now?  

-- Could it be that you still haven’t made the changes you need to make for the big picture?  

-- Why should God answer our prayer for more when we can’t effectively manage what we have now?

And although it doesn’t seem like it.  This is really an answered prayer.  It is an answer to a prayer I have been praying for a long time.  SHOW ME WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND WHERE WE NEED TO CHANGE.  

God has shown me we over spend when we don’t use cash.  Although we need the bank account those plastic little cards cause problems.  Even when they are not actual credit cards.

God has shown me that we still haven’t mastered budgeting.  

God has shown me that if I would just stop being lazy (which is really just being selfish) things would be better because we would have the cash.  And ultimately more control of what HE has provided for us to use.  

We would eat out less if I make a plan for dinners and a plan for the grocery shopping.  If I would stop being lazy about finding coupons our budget would go farther.  Oh and if we eat out less we will be healthier and have more money.  Nice double edged sword there.

Well there you have it -- an answered prayer and although it wasn’t what I expected, it was just what I needed.