What we expect practically determines what we ask for.
For example, what do we expect of God? When the diagnosis is cancer, do we expect God to heal directly, immediately? Do we expect God to heal through medicine? Do we expect to die?
What do we expect of our spouse? Of our pastor, our professors, our friends, or our neighbors?
What we expect is shaped by experience. Not just experience with God or the person in question, but experience with others.
If you’re a nurse, how have previous doctors treated you? When we imagine asking a friend for a favor, we take into account not only our history with that friend, but our history with all friends.
When we’re little, parents are emotional stand-ins for God. If Mom hugged us and applied a bandage when we skinned our knees, we likely expect God to give us what we need.
In our broken world, how do we learn to expect compassion, empathy, and help, unless we’ve been given those experiences. If we don’t expect to receive a good answer, we won’t bother to ask.
Father, help us to expect what you want to give us. For your glory.