What do we know?

James and John, sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus. They said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do us a favor.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them. They said to him, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” Jesus said, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive? - Mark 10:35-38

"You don't realize what you're asking" - I've been thinking lately about some of the prayers I have prayed. Some of them I have written down and I can revisit them. I look over them and I wonder if I really knew what I was asking for. How many times have I asked God to "use me" or "help me"? More than I can count. But did I really get what that meant?

The two sons of Zebedee did not really understand what they were asking for. They still thought Jesus as a political savior at this point, not one of souls. They just didn't get it. How often is that me? How often is that you?

I think a lot of the time, because our situations we go through, we have wrong perspectives about God. This is not to say I have the right one since I too have a damaged view, but I think that often, we need clarity on just who God is and what He is like. If we know what He is like, what He is really about, and what He really expects of us, it makes it a bit easier for us to understand just what we are getting ourselves into when we utter the powerful prayers that we do, like "use me"

Here is an anonymous thing I found not too long ago that sort of explains what all I am talking about:

I asked God to take away my pride. And God said, "No." He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. And God said, "No." He said her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience. And God said, "No." He said patience is a by-product of tribulations. It isn't granted, it is earned.
I asked God to give me happiness. And God said, "No." He said He gives me blessings, happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me pain. And God said, "No." He said suffering draws me apart from worldly cares and brings me closer to Him.
I asked God to make my spirit grown. And God said, "No." He said I must grow on my own, but He will prune me to make me fruitful.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. And God said, "No." He said He will give me life that I may enjoy all things.
I asked God to help me love others, as much as He loves me. He said, "Ah, finally you have the idea!"