When God Calls You to Do Something You Don't Want to Do

Prayer is more than just asking God for things or reciting a list of needs. When we truly encounter God in deep prayer, it changes us in ways we might not expect. Throughout history, men and women who have committed themselves to serious prayer have found themselves called to do things that seemed strange, difficult, or even scandalous to those around them.

What Happens When We Really Pray?

Deep prayer is an encounter with the living God, and it will change the way you behave and think. Consider the biblical examples: Abraham was told to leave his homeland for an unknown destination. David, a simple shepherd, received wisdom to lead a nation. Saul, a persecutor of Christians, had his entire life turned around.

Even in more recent history, we see this pattern. A young Albanian woman named Mother Teresa could have taught at prestigious schools, but through prayer, God called her to serve the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Francis of Assisi abandoned his wealthy military and commercial life to live according to the Sermon on the Mount.

The God-Obsessed Life

When someone truly encounters God in prayer, they become what we might call "God-obsessed." The Psalms express this beautifully: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I desire other than you" (Psalm 73:25). This isn't a casual interest in spiritual things - it's a consuming passion.

The prophet Jeremiah described it this way: "If I say I will not mention him or speak any more of his name, then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in. I cannot hold it in."

Why Jesus Seemed to Act Strangely

In Mark 1:36-39, we see Jesus doing something that appears insensitive. People in his hometown were sick and suffering, literally begging for his healing touch. But after spending time in prayer, Jesus told his disciples they needed to move on to neighboring towns to proclaim the message there.

This seemed harsh. In a culture where family and community had the right to one's allegiance, Jesus appeared to be abandoning those who needed him most. But this decision came directly from his time in prayer with the Father.

The Pattern of Difficult Obedience

Throughout church history, we see this same pattern. Robert Morrison sailed to China in 1807 as the first Protestant missionary there. He only baptized 10 people in 27 years, but he translated the entire Bible into Chinese and laid the foundation for what would become millions of Chinese Christians.

His family had begged him not to go. His mother even made him promise not to leave while she was alive. After she died, his father's health declined, and his siblings pleaded with him to return home. But Morrison felt God's call was clear, and he wrote: "I have no inclination of doing so because God has called me."

When Family and Calling Conflict

The Tension We All Face

This creates a difficult tension. How do we know when to honor family obligations and when to follow God's call, even if it means disappointing those we love? There's no simple formula or set of principles that can guide us through every situation.

Jesus himself stayed home until he was 30 - long past the age when most young men of his day left home. There's a time to fulfill our duty to family, and there's a time to follow God's call even when it breaks our hearts to leave.

The Only Way to Know

The answer to this dilemma isn't found in a rulebook or a set of guidelines. It's found in the same place Jesus went repeatedly: deep prayer. This is where we encounter the living God and learn to distinguish between our own desires and His calling.

What Real Prayer Looks Like

Beyond the "Organ Recital"

Many of our prayers have become what could be called an "organ recital" - pray for someone's knee, someone's heart, someone's kidneys. While it's good to pray for physical needs, real prayer starts with seeking the Father himself.

Prayer isn't about giving God a list of requests. It's about spending time with Him, getting to know Him, and allowing Him to speak into our lives. When you really start seeking God in prayer, you can't just schedule five minutes because God might want to have a conversation that takes much longer.

The Reality of Divine Encounters

One woman described her prayer experience this way: "When I pray, I enter into the throne room of my Father in heaven and I have so much joy." She would weep for 20 minutes during prayer - not from sadness, but from overwhelming joy at being in God's presence.

This kind of prayer encounter will sometimes prompt us to do things that seem scandalous to others. It will confuse our loved ones and sometimes fill us with heartache. But like Jeremiah, our hearts burn within us, and we have to obey.

The Conversation We All Need to Have

If you've never had a conversation with God where He asked you to do something you didn't want to do, you haven't yet experienced deep prayer. That conversation might sound something like this:

"Lord, I really don't want to do this."

"I know."

"I'd really rather do something else. Can't you find someone else?"

"Yes, I could, but this is what I want you to do."

"I don't want to."

"That doesn't matter. I want you to."

"No."

"Yes. But I'll be with you."

"Okay."

 

Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to move beyond surface-level prayer into deeper communion with God. Instead of just presenting Him with your list of needs, spend time simply being in His presence. Ask Him what He wants to say to you, what He might be calling you to do.

Be prepared that His answer might not be what you expect or want to hear. He might ask you to step out of your comfort zone, to serve in a way that doesn't make sense to others, or to make a sacrifice that seems difficult.

Questions for Reflection:

 

• What has God been asking you to do that you've been avoiding or putting off?

• How has fear of what others might think kept you from fully following God's call on your life?

• When you pray, are you seeking God himself, or are you just presenting Him with a list of requests?

• What would change in your life if you truly believed that God's plans for you are better than your own plans, even when they're difficult?

 

Remember, when God calls you to do something difficult, He promises to be with you. The same God who called Abraham, David, and countless others throughout history is the same God who wants to use you for His purposes today.