Do you guys end up thinking that sometimes? What's up with our prayers? Let me give some deep thoughts: what I've heard, what I've read, basically whatever God is putting in my heart right now for this writing.
Let me start with patience. If you are like me, it's pretty difficult for me to just be still and wait. My husband is also not really fond of waiting. I think the difference with me and my husband is I'm really impatient and I want to see some results immediately. With my husband, don't ask him, but I think he would prefer to hear some results immediately. If both of us become impatient, it can get really messy.
I get it. We all have different specific wants we like to follow in our lives. And, we expect others to have the same mindset and follow them too. However, we need to get this through our head. We are all different people and we do different things from what we choose to do.
Patience. I am always praying to God. In Jesus name is always the ending of my talks with him. Then I know that Jesus is praying to his father for me. Then, the next step is for me to be patient.
Pause break! I want to say hi to Maria. I just gave her a card and she was super duper nice. Maria, I pray that you will be encouraged by the writings. Time to dive back in to where I left off.
I know that God is in the business of answering all of our prayers. Yes, I believe that. And, I know that in his own, sometimes even crazy yet very intelligent way, he does the answering of prayers. Sometimes it's not the answer we want. It's either a yes , no, or wait. Yes, I said I believe that God answers all our prayers but in my years of living this Christian Life, at times, I find myself to be impatient and I want the answers to my prayers in the "now" form.
However, it doesn't always end up that way and that is a big test to my patience. My mind is going round and round thinking of a few characters from the book of Genesis that totally had to undergo the test of patience.
I can think of Abraham and Sarah who had to be patient because they couldn't have children. I believe when they had Isaac, Sarah was already 90! That's crazy! I think of Jacob. Jacob had to work in order to have Rachel as his wife. So he worked for 7 years because he thought he was going to get her but the older sister had to go first. Then, he had to work again for another 7 years of hard labor for the love of Rachel. Talk about patience, right? Actually, he loved Rachel so much that work was like nothing to him. He knew what he was working towards and I guess he kept that in mind the whole time. I think of Joseph. This guy probably had to be patient from the time he was sold as a slave to until his brothers came to Egypt to see him. There's no mention of these people's prayer life in the Bible. So, I can only guess that they probably prayed everyday. Again, I don't know the answer to that.
That's not to say that if you're not seeing answers you should stop praying. No, God want us to always pray. I don't think he would want us to block out 24 hours to just pray, either. That's crazy! But, I have heard of people who choose to do that and do some heavy praying. If you feel in your heart that that is what God wants you to do, then by all means do what God wants you to do! And guess what? We need to always remember God's reasong from an eternal perspective.
I would like to end this writing with words from John Stoit, a contributor to the One Year Bible my husband and I are still reading. That reminds me we need to catch up. We missed a few days. Anyway here are some words from John.
John Stott writes that "God will answer ‘No’ if the things we ask for ‘are either not good in themselves, or not good for us or for others, directly or indirectly, immediately or ultimately."Encouraging thought of the day:
If we choose to be patient and wait the outcome will be glorious!
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Isaiah 40:31 ESV
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Psalm 27:13-14 ESV
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
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