I just read a post from a friend and for just a split second I thought she was starting to come out of the darkness of religion. I thought WWAS...would would atheist say...to her final enlightenment.

"I took one of my clients to look at a house which was just listed yesterday. When we got there, an appraiser came out and told me that he had been hired by someone to come out and do an appraisal for someone who was putting in an offer on the house. He said that there was another agent in the house with a couple who was writing an offer as well. I took my client in and rang the doorbell. A woman approached me (I didn't know if she was an agent or the person putting in an offer) so I said, "I was told someone was putting in an offer; however, we would like to take a quick look at the house.". Her response was, "Fine. But this is MY home. I have already claimed it in the Name of Jesus. "

For the first time in my life, I was really taken back by her remark. It made me stop and think about it in a completely different way than I have before.

I will admit, I have used that same expression, "claiming something in the name of Jesus". How many times have I "claimed something in the name of Jesus" (choosing a spouse, begging to get pregnant, wanting a house or something that I just thought I HAD to have), when maybe it wasn't what Jesus wanted for me?

What if this house wasn't the house Jesus wanted for this woman? What if Jesus wanted the other family to get this house? By her claiming it, does that mean she DEFINITELY gets it?

John 14:13 states: "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

Wait a minute, what was that LAST part of the verse?

"So that the Father may be glorified in the Son".

So will God be glorified because this woman gets to purchase this home?
Or will she be glorified because she gets what she wants?

I'm really not trying to be a brat (my client really didn't want the house because the traffic from I-26 was very distracting despite the tranquil backyard), I'm just calling MYSELF out.

God, I'm sorry if I have ever asked for something in your Son's name for my selfish pleasure. Please forgive me. It really is more about bringing glory to YOU, than getting MY way all of the time. I"m so grateful for the many times you loved me enough to NOT let me get what I asked for. Thank you for the powerful life lessons I have learned when you have allowed me to have things which really weren't in my best interest.

It is my prayer that God will direct ALL of my clients to the homes that are best suited to them, and somehow God can be glorified WHEREVER they live."

Of course I had to respond to this, I just had to... While you’re praying for god to help your clients find their perfect house so he can be glorified, ask if he can cure cancer, especially in children, end poverty and hunger, the homeless could use a house, war isn’t all that great either. Maybe he can find glory in that? Never know, if everybody prayed hard enough it could happen.