“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3
As the man, late for an appointment, drove around the packed office parking lot he could find not one parking space. He kept driving and increased his fuming. Suddenly he thought to pray, saying, “Lord, you know how important this meeting is and if you will find me a parking space, I will attend church every Sunday for the next year.”
Suddenly a space miraculously opened up right in front of him and he pulled right in. He thought and suddenly began to pray, “Oh God, never mind. I found a space right in front of me.”
God hears and answers prayer, sometimes, yes, sometimes no and sometimes wait.
Sometimes we get frustrated as we want immediate answers and we want what we prayed for. But God is God and not a celestial order taker.
I have asked God for a lot of things, but in retrospect, I am glad He didn’t give me what I asked for, as it would have been a disaster for me. He knows much better than I do what is best for me and what is His plan for my life. Prayer is not an exercise in asking for what we want but praising Him and asking what He wants for our lives.
Sometimes God answers our prayers in strange ways and we need to focus on. we are often unprepared for the answers we receive from God. His answers frequently do not look at first like answers. They look like problems. They look like trouble. They look like loss, disappointment, affliction, conflict, sorrow, and increased selfishness. They cause deep soul wrestling and expose sins and doubts and fears. They are not what we expect, and we often do not see how they correspond to our prayers.
The Lord of the universe isn’t under obligation to say “yes” to every prayer. That’s a good thing, considering some of the things we request. But sometimes God says “no” to our most heartfelt requests. Have you discovered this to be true in your own life? I certainly have.
When we pray we should look carefully for a response. It may be disguised even though it is right before our eyes. And when God answers our prayers we should rejoice, give thanks and give Him all the glory.
By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
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