Isaiah 65:1, 2  
The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. 
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. 
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ 
to a nation that did not call on my name. 
All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. 
But they follow their own evil paths 
and their own crooked schemes.” (NLT)

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You get the picture from these verses that God is more interested in answering our prayers than we are in praying them. 

“Why doesn’t God ever do anything for me like he did for people in the Bible?” Maybe because, like many of the people in the Bible, we ignore God, or we try to manipulate him to get what we want. 

God says, “I am ready to respond to your requests for help.”
We ignore him.

God says, “I am ready to be found.”
We choose not to look for him.

God says, “Here I am, here I am!”
We refuse to acknowledge his presence.

God says, “My arms are open to welcome you.”
We would rather not embrace him in public.

God says, “Follow me.”
We would rather chart our own paths.

Even through all of these insults, God says, 
“I will answer them before they even call to me. 
While they are still talking about their needs, 
I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” 
(See verse 24.)

God is more interested in answering our prayers than we are in telling him what we need. To every reverent heart, he says “Yes” before we can utter an “Amen.”

This should change how we pray. This should change how we live. 

How so? 

Instead of wondering where God is and if he is listening, we can expect his presence and anticipate his benevolence. Reverent souls that pray, “Jesus, make my heart like yours,” see his reality and experience his grace. 

If you repeatedly find yourself disappointed with God, it’s most likely not his fault. 

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I will live in attentive expectation of God’s activity everywhere I live, work, and play.

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Our Father, please forgive me for ignoring you. Please forgive me for not receiving what you offer. Please forgive me for walking other paths and seeking other resources than those of superior and eternal value you stand ready to bestow. Amen.