God Always Answers
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. -- 1 John 5:14
Do you believe God answers prayers? Do you believe God answers your prayers?
Sometimes. That was the consensus this morning. The thing is God answers all our prayers. Maybe He doesn’t answer in the way we want, or in the timeframe we would prefer, but He answers just the same.
In the book The Battle Plan for Prayer for Stephen and Alex Kendrick, the writers give five general ways God answers prayer. The first is an immediate yes. We love those, don’t we? We’re usually so excited that we don’t realize that God might have anticipated our request and been preparing His answer for years in advance.
The second way is when God says yes but not right now. Our instant society has programmed us to want everything right now. It’s hard to wait. But patience is sometimes what God wants to teach us.
Another way God answers prayer is by saying yes because you’ll learn from it. Those are generally not pleasant because lessons usually mean we needed God to redirect us. Ever experienced one of God’s lessons? Yeah. But usually the end result is worth it, especially since He never leaves us to walk through it alone.
The fourth way God answers prayers is to say no because our heart isn’t right. Why are you wanting what you’ve asked for? Is it for your glory or God’s glory? Is it to build yourself up, to put someone else down, or to fill a hole inside with stuff?
The last way God answers prayers is awesome: God says no because He’s got something better in mind for us. Sometimes we ask too little of our great God and He amazes us with His answer.
Even though sometimes it seems God doesn’t hear us, He does. Every single time. And He always answers. Always. So if you aren’t hearing His voice, ask again. And again. Open your Bible and read. Pray. Quiet your heart and listen. And wait. When the time is right, God will answer.
