Today is one of my favorite days of the year. January 18th – the day Lonnie and I celebrate our anniversary. Not our wedding anniversary, but our becoming a couple anniversary. 32 years ago, on this day in 1991, with my big poofy bangs and him with the stripes shaved in the side of his head, we became the Lonnie and Pamela Duo. He asked me out, I said yes, and then followed the biggest kiss of my life. Yes, I was 15 and I’m pretty sure I fell in love right then and there.

I share this with you this morning to tell you how God hears our prayers, delights in our prayers and moves in mighty ways.

It all began the summer before. The summer of 1990 when I suppose I had officially exhausted the short list of boys in our tiny town and had either dated them all or was related to them and so what’s a desperate girl to do but turn to God. I prayed a very specific prayer. GOD PLEASE BRING NEW BOYS TO OUR SCHOOL.

Now I didn’t know it, but about this time, a family was uprooting from Dallas, TX and setting out in a UHaul to find a fresh start. They just “happened” to come across a small farm for sale in tiny little ol’ Ava, Missouri and buy it. Ava just happened to be the school where a young girl with big poffy bands was praying for a new boy to come to town.

Now, what’s important to know here, and applicable to you whether you’re 15 and looking for a boyfriend, 30 and hoping for a husband, or 50 and tired of yours … PRAY ABOUT IT. Not just about a man, but about everything. Pray about it. Why would we ever choose to worry about it instead? Why would we turn to our best friend and complain about it instead of turning to the one who can actually do something about it? Why would we post on Facebook and ask the world for input when we can ask the one who created the whole world for input?

Have you prayed about it?

Psalm 5:3: “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

Meaning, I wake up and the first thing I do is I talk to God about it. He is my first resort, not my last resort. Why do we treat praying about it like the least we can do when it’s really the best we can do?

Did you know, this morning, I talked to God about you. Seriously, I did. On my knees, I asked for your healing. I prayed for these circumstances to change. I prayed that the fear inside you would flee. I prayed a breakthrough would happen for you today. I prayed for miracles over your life. I prayed for restoration and revival, in Jesus’ name. And while my prayer for you may not seem to carry much weight, I am beginning to understand it’s greater than anything else I could have possibly done. It’s greater than me being able to sit down and have lunch with you today. It’s greater than me showing up at your door with a new car. It’s greater than me giving you the best advice you’ve ever received. I talked to the Almighty about YOU and it’s the best I could possibly do.

Power is unleashed and directed to you in that moment. Divine alignments are being arranged. Doors are being opened. Impossible things are being declared possible. Simply because the request has been laid before God on your behalf.

Now, Sis, start laying down those requests every morning, and watch things change in your life. Watch the tides turn. Watch breakthroughs happen. Receive your answers. Be guided and directed as never before. Praying is the best thing you can do, so do it first!

And when you’ve prayed about it, wait in expectation.

What does this mean? It means KNOWING God is moving. From the moment you brought him your request, divine power has been allocated in that direction. I prayed over you this morning, and I have no doubt God is in action as a result. Psalm 56:9 (The Passion Translation): The very moment I call to you for a father’s help the tide of battle turns and my enemies flee. This one thing I know: God is on my side!”

The tides of your battle are turning. Enemies are fleeing. I am certain, because I asked. Now, why aren’t you asking?

If you’ve asked, why are you allowing the wait to discourage you? You must place every detail in the mighty hands of God. You must fully trust his timing. Honey, just because you’re still waiting doesn’t mean God isn’t working on your behalf.

Don’t allow the wait to steal your expectation of God’s movement in your life. If you’ve asked, he is answering. If you’ve laid it at his feet, he is picking it up. If you’ve surrendered it to him, he is preparing a victory.

You cannot see what God can see. You cannot possibly anticipate what God has planned for eternity. Therefore, today’s answers do not always make sense to our limited vision, but we can trust he turns tides when we make our requests.

I truly believe my prayer as a 15 year old girl moved an entire family. I believe God is so incredibly sweet to turn tides and make crazy things happen for those who will boldly ask him. So, my sister, go ahead and ask him and expect him to answer!

Daniel 9:18: “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.”

When I prayed that prayer asking for God to bring a new boy to my school, I hadn’t even accepted Jesus yet. I didn’t attend Church. I had never really read my bible. I had no clue about this God I was talking to. I was totally unrighteous. But God doesn’t answer our prayers because we are righteous – he answers because of his great mercy.

You can stop trying to clean yourself up before you talk to God. He’s waiting on you, as is. This isn’t about you deserving God’s blessings, you will always fall short on that scale. This is about a loving heavenly father who cares about every detail of your life. About a creator who takes delight in YOU.

When I prayed that prayer, I didn’t really expect a family to be packing up in a UHaul and heading my way. I believed God, but my unbelief was bigger than my belief. Can God answer the prayers of a little faith or does it require big mountain moving faith?

In Mark chapter 9 we read the honest confession of a man whose son was demon possessed. He begged Jesus for healing of his son, but when asked about his faith, he confessed, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” This man wasn’t fully convinced Jesus had the power to save his son, he wasn’t sure he was asking right, he wasn’t even sure Jesus cared enough to do anything, but he asked anyway.

You may not fully know if God wants to answer your prayer or how he would answer your prayer, but I encourage you to pray anyway. All you need is a tiny bit of faith. Remember faith the size of a mustard seed is what moves mountains.

You may feel discouraged because you’ve prayed before and nothing happened. Ahhhh, Sis, you think nothing happened, but you really have no idea of the seeds that were planted as a result of that prayer, or the demons that were halted. You just don’t know. So now, go ahead and ask again! I dare you to ask again.

Pray with your tiny bit of faith and a whole load of questions. Pray scared. Pray uncertain. Pray before you clean yourself up. Pray and trust him with the details and the timing. Pray not because you are righteous, I promise you’re not – but because he is merciful, and I promise he is.

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com