Posted on 12/18/2022 11:44:52 AM PST by metmom
Young families in a suburb of North Carolina started a church; and after two years, it was just exploding. They had to move into a bigger building, but after a bit, an adult bookstore bought the building across from them. So now this church was sharing a parking lot with an adult bookstore. They tried to fight it. They sent letters to the mayor, stood before the city council, petitioned for the bookstore to be moved. Nothing worked.
The church called for 21 days of prayer and fasting. Isn’t it funny that we tend to pray last? As they prayed, around day 14, a giant thunderstorm hit the community. Lightning struck the adult bookstore, and it burned to the ground.
The bookstore sued the church, saying, “We want you to pay for the lost wages and the building because your prayer meeting burned our business down.” The church protested, “It’s not our fault. It was a thunderstorm, and we’re not paying for anything.” My favorite part of this, though, was when the judge stood up and said, “I’ve never seen anything like this. We have an adult bookstore that believes in prayer and a church that doesn’t.”
Wouldn’t it be amazing if God always answered prayer that fast? The thing is that he sometimes does, but sometimes he doesn’t. He doesn’t work on our schedule, so then we start to think that he doesn’t answer prayer.
Maybe you’re in a desperate position right now financially, or your marriage is struggling, or serious health issues are on the table. It would be amazing if you prayed, then your answer was waiting for you as soon as you turned around! How many of you know, though, that it doesn’t usually happen that way? Lightning doesn’t strike the buildings — or people — we pray about, and God doesn’t immediately heal or move. There’s a reason for this. When our prayers don’t get answered quickly, we have to trust God and God’s plans for us.
The Bible says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV). How many of us really believe this? How many of us are willing to wait to see God move?
Ping
Yes, absolutely, but often not in ways we understand, or desire.
To steal a line from The Poseidon Adventure (sadly, I’m that old),
Sometimes the answer is no.
Correct ...
It may not be the outcome we desire, but it is the one we get. People who love this world/whirled get just deserts.
I don’t love this world other than hunting and fishing and being outdoors.
Thank you for the post; He does work in mysterious ways,
in His Own Time. Whether or not one learns from the
lesson He Teaches is a personal decision.
We pray to see our Faith grow ever
stronger. Merry Christmas!
Agree 100%. As I’ve matured, I pray more to better understand His will vs. asking for something for myself.
That’s basically what I’ve learned to do, and what I believe is best. I don’t ever ask for something specific, which I don’t believe is proper, as that is extremely presumptuous and attempts to put you on equal footing with the Father.
Instead, I ask for the the Lord’s help, with a particular issue I’m having. I outline the issue, and the problems it is causing for me. Then I ask for His help, but always make it clear that I am only asking for His will to be done, and make it clear that I believe that is what will be best for me, and all involved.
“Lay your problems at the Lord’s feet” is a old saying that applies here, and how I believe that prayer should be conducted. Hope I’m right, but I’m pretty sure coming anywhere close to demanding or even just expecting specific things from prayer is the absolute wrong approach.
Hope you and everyone reading this is having a wonderful lead up to Christmas, which Lord willing will be one week from today.
Nicely said
Yes with Yes, No, Wait. Charles Stanley.
I may not be rich and not caring as long as I have what I need, but when there was a sudden need for extra money, something would happen at the right time and I didn’t pray for it, but the timing was always just right.
Just to add, that is why I would have no hesitation to quit my job if the jab was mandated. God would take care of it
Does God answer prayer? He says He will, so He does. Period.
Proverbs 30:7-9 7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
As I think about it, God has probably done me more good by not answering a few of my prayers.
I believe that God has his favorites whose prayers He answers — all other prayers get lost in cyberspace never to be heard. Prayers heard = less than .01% for majority.
Merry Christmas!
Yes.
I have never prayed for ‘things’ but for my eyes to be open when God presents me with opportunity.
I live a very blessed life.
What I heard is a good idea is not to ask what I am going to do in each situation, but ask what God is doing to do in it.
I need to remember that myself more.
One of Gods greatest gifts is unanswered prayers.
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