Sometimes the answer is no!
How many times have you told someone, “you’re in my prayers, or I’ll be praying for you!” Liar, liar, pants on fire! Maybe I am being too hard on some of you, because I am sure you pray on Easter, Thanksgiving, and maybe Christmas. Maybe you should have precluded, ‘if and when I pray’. The Bible says: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Just think of the good you could have done the person you promised to pray for, if you had actually done it!
Most of us pray like God is Santa Clause and we are giving Him our wish list. I want, I need, can I please, but how often is it, ‘Lord heal their hearts, give them comfort, or bless them and show them your mercy and light their path?’ Did you know that if you are not right with the Lord, He will not answer your prayers? Do you go to Him with unresolved hatred or bitterness in your heart? If you do, He will not answer until you seek forgiveness or give forgiveness, whichever the case may be.
Another thing to be mindfull of is God’s timing is not our timing, and He will answer in the fullness of time. We need to be patient and wait upon the Lord and He will answer your prayer. Today I was thrown a curve ball, something out of left field, and completely unexpected. I started to panic, but instead surrendered it to the Lord and also prayed for patience and grace to accept His will. Within hours he answered my prayers, and to my relief the answer was yes! Then I prayed again, but this time it was a prayer of thanksgiving.
Sometimes His answer is no, because if you know me personally, you know I am neither skinny nor wealthy. I think He wants me to stay humble, and it is working!
We as parents don’t give our children everything they ask for because as their parents we know it may not be good for them. Of course the children think we are heartless, and we just don’t understand them. Sound familiar? Our heavenly father wants only what is best for us, and where we see just what is in front of us, He sees far into the future and knows the best answer to give us and when.
As authors we are guilty of wishing, hoping, praying that our works will be accepted and successful. Our timing of releasing a book, magazine article or any other work, may not be effective, but God’s timing is always perfect. Don’t you think major decisions should be prayed about before we make them and not after? It may make all the difference in the world!
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
I John 5:14-15
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
James 4:3
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Isaiah 65:24
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Psalms 37:7