Paying for Answered Prayers?

What if you could pay an amount easily affordable to have your prayers answered? Of course, it's a heretical thought because the price has already been paid. Yet, imagine you made a list of prayers and were able to drop some coins, chickens, shocks of grain, whatever is easy for you into a box and "poof" your prayers are answered exactly the way you want them to be.

Let's see. I'm checking my piggy bank now. I want to get that high paying speaking job I've been thinking about and the writing deal I'm working on. I want to lose "X" pounds in three months (I'm not telling how many pounds). I want to start exercising two hours each day even though I'm not exercising at all now.Oh, and I want to buy that motor home we've looked at, plus I want our new neighbors that just moved in to be really nice and likable. Yes, those things would be best. How many dimes, quarters, and dollar bills will those prayers cost?

I'm thankful prayer doesn't work this way. For one thing, no matter how intelligent we are, we're not smart enough to know everything that's best for us. God is the only one who knows what lies ahead. He sees the potholes, crevices, hills, chasms, storms, and sunshine.

While we attempt to learn better listening skills to those around us, we also need to unplug our ears so that we can listen to guidance that may or may not fall within our own wants and desires. Put your money away. It's useless.