Six years ago on 6/7/2015, a lady at my church, who I call "my other mother" showed me a quote that she had clipped from her calendar. It said, "Don't pray for a bushel and carry only a cup." After all this time, I finally get it.
I was desiring a career change, and I mentioned it to God in conversation as something that would be nice to achieve, and the reasons I would like to achieve it. However, my prayer to God was something I thought He could easily provide. Then I went about trying to achieve that but the Lord closed the door on it. So then I thought I would try for a part-time job but it was still not what I truly desired. The Lord closed the door on that too. He said to me, "I am trying to give you your heart's desire, why are you trying to make it easy on Me by believing for something else?"
The Prophet Elijah
The Lord reminded me of the story of Elijah's experience on Mount Carmel when he had a face-off with the 450 false prophets. (1 Kings 18:19-39) The false prophets received a bull to prepare an altar for a burnt offering. Elijah also received a bull to do the same. They were to call on their god and Elijah would call on his God to answer by fire, and light a fire under the altar. The one who answered would be the true God. The false prophets called and called on their god from morning to evening but nothing happened.
When it was Elijah's turn, he did not make it easy on his God to light a fire under the altar. He dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about 3 gallons of water. He had 12 large jars of water poured over the bull and the wood, which also ran down and filled the trench.
Elijah walked up to the altar and prayed, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant. Prove that I have done all this at Your command. O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that You, O LORD, are God and that You have brought them back to yourself."
Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!
Ephesians 3:20 (AMP) Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest thoughts, desires, prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us.
Don't pray for a bushel, and carry only a cup. Be bold in your prayers and know that God is able to handle whatever we ask.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove