“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.” Psalm 20:4 NKJV

As Christians, God’s desires for our lives should begin to become our own. And if our desires match God’s, He is faithful to fulfill those desires.

At the end of last year, I began to realize just how unsatisfied I was simply attending church and doing little else to serve others. So I told God this would be the year.

The year that with God’s guidance I really would begin to step out in my faith and not settle for less than everything He had in store for me. At the beginning of the year, I asked God to give me opportunities to step up in church and serve others. Throughout the year, I prayed for new opportunities to step out in faith-some very specific and some very general, but God began to answer many of those prayers with a yes!

Probably the biggest of these prayers concerned transferring to Trinity Baptist College. As the year went on, God began to open more and more doors to make the transfer possible.

I began to help in several “smaller” ministry projects as well…teaching in children’s church, starting a simple Christian blog, and working as a VBS craft helper. God was at work doing some great things, and I was glad to be a part of it in any small way I could.

Then I began to pray more specifically—for involvement in youth ministry. It wasn’t too long before my former youth pastor called me, needing a female chaperone to head out to youth camp. I couldn’t believe God had answered my prayer in such a short time in such a direct way. I accepted the offer, and had a blast as I went with the GP Youth to Student Life Camp.

As the following month progressed, however, I became a little dissatisfied. I loved being a part of spiritual growth that took place that week with my old church’s youth group, but what about the youth group at my current church? I saw the students more frequently than those of my former church and really wanted a way to connect with them. So, once again, I prayed.

Truthfully, even though I know I am supposed to pray in faith (Mark 11:24), I didn’t expect much from this prayer. The youth group appeared to have plenty of adult leaders, and I was too comfortable with our singles class to really step out on Wednesday nights.

But, to my surprise, I was approached by one of the youth workers and asked if I’d be interested in going to youth camp as a female chaperone if another adult was unable to go. I said yes immediately, remembering only afterward that I was in school this summer!

“Wait, wait. I have classes…”

I talked with the leader for a few more minutes, discussing some alternative options: the other chaperone might decide she wants to go anyway, but if not, I MIGHT be able to get a few days off school, if my professor isn’t strict with attendance, yada yada.

The conversation left me with mixed feelings of disappointment and determination. There was no way a professor would let me off for an entire week of a four-week class. And because I was transferring schools in August, I couldn’t simply wait until the fall to take the class.

“Oh, God, I was SO close,” I said. “I’ve been praying for this! Why would You bring me so close to this opportunity, and then snatch it away like that? Actually…that’s a good question…is that even what You’re doing?”

Over the next week, I prayed fervently that God would work out a way that I could go. The other chaperone then decided not to go, and the only thing that seemed to stand between me and camp was school.

So I talked to my professor.

“You want to take off the whole week?!” he asked.

“I mean, if that’s not too much to ask…If not, that’s ok…” (Confrontation of any kind isn’t my strength.)

“No, it’s ok. You can make up the test the week after.”

Wait…really???

Did you really just make that happen, God? Because that’s unbelievable!

So, I went. I spent half my camp free time doing homework, but I went and I’m so glad I did. I got to witness God do some amazing things in EYM and was glad to be a part of it, being blessed by the students, the messages, and the music, and getting to play a small role in God’s plans for the week. 

God is faithful. He has really taught me some cool things this year about prayer. God was willing to give me the desires of my heart because they matched His will for my life. However, He didn’t say yes to every opportunity I thought I was called to take part in. He gave me a “no” to several and maybe even “not now” to others…but that’s okay, because I know that simply means God had other plans for me. Besides, it’s only August and I’m still praying for several more opportunities to take part in this year. I’ve been blessed with a great year so far, full of answered prayers and amazing experiences, but I don’t think God’s finished with me yet. And I’m definitely not finished praying!

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Luke 9-10