This week I was in conversation with someone who I admire discussing future career aspirations and the desire to follow God’s plan for my life and trusting in the direction that He was leading me. I commented on how God only really knows what those next steps in my career path will be and how while even though I trust in Him it can be really scary not knowing in the meantime. Her response was that God knows what’s going to happen and a prayer may not change that plan, but He still wants us to pray. He wants to hear our voice calling out to Him conceding that we need Him, that we trust in Him, and to align our prayer with God’s heart no matter what the outcome of “the plan.”

This hit close to home because lately God has been bringing clarity into my prayer life and calling me out on how to align my prayers with His heart. For example recently I prayed, “God are you with me?” His response, “You are asking the wrong question. The question that you should be asking is ‘God am I with you?’” This convicted me because of course I knew that God is present in my life and would never leave me, but I think I wanted Him to affirm that He was with me in my own ideas of the plans for my life. I needed to get to a place where I was surrendering my will and seeking God’s will in my life.

So often we pray to God requesting things such as safety, prosperity, answers, or blessings in our life when really we should be focusing on asking God what we could do for Him. I find myself guilty often of praying for what God can give me instead of focusing on how I’m pursuing God’s heart in my life. When I’m following God’s heart the fruit produced will be blessings; the answers I need; and the light leading the way in the direction of God’s plan for my life.

Does your prayer life reflect a laundry list of wants or does it reflect the desire to align yourself with following God’s heart, His calling, and His plan for your life?