Jul 24, 2005

Dear God, Please Say Yes

God loves us and answers our prayers, but we’re often guilty of petitioning for things that are not in accordance to His will, and our prayers are not answered as we would like. There are times when His answer is difficult to comprehend, and we're confused and can't perceive a definite answer. What is our response when our finite minds just can't grasp the answer to our prayers?

We may desire with all our heart to get a positive answer, and just have a difficult time accepting anything else. Whatever the reason; when our understanding is clouded, do we continue to pray unceasingly for our petition, and if so, for how long? How do we avoid being repetitious when we continue to ask daily, over-and-over, for the exact same thing, but are no closer to an answer than we were several weeks back?

Is a negative answer to our prayer because it's not in accordance to His will, or because we are of little faith, or both; how do we determine which? Are we patient enough to see the long-range results of our prayer, or do we expect an instant fix?

Perhaps at times when we're in murky water all we can do is pray for a clearer vision. It's difficult to know how much time needs to pass before we finally realize Gods' answer, and it may not be what we want to hear. On the other hand, we know that prayer is powerful, and we certainly hate to give up without a good fight.

Possibly I'm the only one that gets confused with Gods' answer to my prayer, but I know of people who pray for an automobile, then run down and buy a new Mercedes Benz when they don't have enough money for a used Volkswagon Minibus. Maybe their confused too!

Confusion often reigns when we misinterpret Gods' answers to our prayers. Perhaps I just get confused more than most folks. :)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

A used VW Minibus would be sooo groovy... I can see me in it now. (As long as the A/C works!)

LV, I think you are pinpointing the very things that we all struggle with in prayer. I pray for clarity, but I still feel fuzzy about some upcoming decisions. At times I feel like I have arrived at the right one, then I start to realize the implications of it ... and it scares me. So I want God to make it all the way I want it to be. No doubt I'll be blogging about this soon, but I can't at this point.

I think repetition is OK ... as long as it is not an attempt to impress God, just an expression of heart. Some struggles are for a lifetime.

Anonymous said...

These are fantastic questions and I guess most of us have asked them. There is something to be said for praying with importunity. But there is far more to be said for aligning ourselves with God's will.

I'm studying Jeshoshaphat's prayer right now (and probably writing about it soon) and there are a few things there that address these questions. Things like praying in community, fasting, and waiting expectantly for an answer.

More on that later. Now I have to jump over to jd's site and write about the time I met James Doohan.

Anonymous said...

I certainly don't have all this figured out.

More all the time I am learning God is much more interested in our spiritual health--and I spend a lot of time praying for stuff not in that category. I know I have a lot to learn!

JB

Anonymous said...

Larry,
I keep praying and praying you will update your blog...

but all I get are Mercedes Benz's.

Hmmm... wonder where my Janis Joplin CD is?

blessings,
iggy