Be careful what you ask for or what you promise

Mark 6:26  "The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her."

King Herod had promised the daughter of Herodias anything she wanted in front of his dinner guests.  By the suggestion of her mother, who was desperately trying to find a way to kill John the Baptist, the daughter asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.  Not at all what Herod had intended or envisioned when he made the offer, but at this point, he had to follow through on his offer and oath.

A similar situation can come about when we pray and ask God for something.  For example, we may ask God to strengthen our faith.  We know that having strong faith is a positive thing, and we want it.  However, one likely way of strengthening our faith is by enduring trials and difficult circumstances where we have to rely on God. 

Knowing in advance how God might fulfill our requests might make us re-think the whole thing, even though we know the end result is worthwhile.  Be careful what you ask for, but don't let fear of God's methods cause you to shy away.