He refines me and causes me to loosen my grip on this world that I might cling more closely to Him. He causes me to stop trusting in myself and causes me to trust more fully in Him. He answers the prayer for growth that I might say with the Psalmist, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25).

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and ev’ry grace,
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek more earnestly His face

I have often prayed a prayer like this. I need to grow in faith and love and every grace. I am weak, and I need God’s help. Praise God that we have the promise that we may come to Him to “receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16).

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer,
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair

God answers these prayers. When we pray according to His will “He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). But I often have a way that I think God should answer these prayers.

 I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request
And, by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins and give me rest

The way that I want these prayers answered is with ease and rest. I’m being noble to ask, right? The least God can do is make it easy for me. Surely He will pour that grace out on me in such a way that *poof* magically makes my sin disappear. Right?

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