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(ThyBlackMan.com) There are things in life we simply battle with wrapping our minds around, let alone explaining. There is evil in this world that is unspeakable, yet it is not new. Yet, there are miracles that happen every day that set out hearts soring and renews out hope in mankind…and for some God. On many days one can wonder where is God in all the mayhem we see. Where is God in the adversities we face? When we cry out to God in pain, desperation, need, or just wanting comfort does he hear us? More importantly is God in the business of answering us…in answering our prayers? It is very easy to believe God can do everything so if something has to move in our life it will be because God decided it should happen.
If that is the mindset there is also the feeling that if one doesn’t have the deep desires of their heart, God decided they can’t have it…or he is not willing to answer their call. It can also lead to the train of thought that when bad things occur, God not only allowed it but might have orchestrated such to teach us a lesson or punish us for sinful behavior. The other part of that is maybe God decided not to answer our prayers or cries to him for a reason we most certainly do not understand.
After having cried out in desperation on so many occasions and seeing so many people I know be delivered myself included I’m convinced God answers prayer. With that being said I’m also willing to admit we, as humans, tend to have selective hearing in some spaces. Sometimes there is a desire for God to just fix it, and we want to remove ourselves from the process od said fixing. That isn’t reality, and it can’t be found in any Bible. Answered prayer is more than just hearing yes when we want. It is also hearing instructions, getting the provisions we need even when we rebuff the things, and people, we need. Having God answer prayer is not always comfortable, because we can’t manipulate him into giving in when we are whining out to him. If we can just take a moment to acknowledge self, yes, we can be bratty before God. I’m talking about the same kind of bratty we won’t tolerate from a child.
Sometimes the answer begins with the adjustments we need to make, sometimes it’s that what we want might require movement, sometimes the answer involves patience…none of these are the answer no, but it’s not what we want to hear. Sometimes we go to God for things that will require our accountability and responsibility… it has nothing to do with Him trying to withhold the blessing. As a matter of fact, there are many passages in the Bible that speak to God wanting to see us blessed and prospering. He wants us to have the desires of our heart, but the question at times is… what is the condition of your heart. Too many of us think we have pure hearts, but our attitude and treatment of others say differently. This doesn’t mean we’re bad people, it means we aren’t perfect and should always work on our self.
There are times when it is beneficial to sit down and think about all the prayers that have been answered. If we look in the areas of our lives where it seems God answers us the most…what do we do in this area that is not practiced in every area of our life. How many times have our backs been against the wall and God answered our prayer even in our silence. He provided the provision even when we were in error. There may have been times that the answer came in the form of God putting the word in the mouth of another. Sometimes he sends us the people we need in our life to bless us, share truth, and offer support. The answer to prayer can come from a random act of kindness.
Being able to see the goodness of God in so many different places and spaces at times can answer the simple question: “Lord are you still with me”? You might not always get the answer you want in terms of instant gratification. You might even find that conversation with God to be rough, if the world is you need to make mid-course corrections. However, that is also a form of care and love. Just as we tend to have those conversations with our children, Father God tends to have to do the same with us…his children. Just know he is always listening, looking to bless us, and answering our prayers. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James
May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.
