Answering prayers is something all
Christians spend time pondering. It's something we need to understand
and be able to explain to those who are struggling in some way. Luke
11:9 says, "So
I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will
find; knock and the door will be opened to you." If
you look carefully at this scripture, Jesus said seek and you will
find, knock and the door will be opened to you. He did not say that
God will give you everything you ask for exactly as you asked and
when you want it. God loves us and he is not going to give us
something that He knows is not going to be good for us. He also may
have something better in mind.
Charles Stanley offers an example of a
woman praying for a husband and family. Perhaps God has found
someone special for her, but he is 500 miles away. Time is needed to
meet someone who is that distance away. Perhaps she or the young man
need a little time to grow or change in some way so that the
relationship will work out best.
Prayer should be motivated by a desire
to fellowship with the Lord and not simply because we want something
from Him. As our relationship with god grows stronger through
conversing with Him we can face hardship or difficulty. Prayer is our way having fellowship with God. When we are quiet and praying/talking to Him, he lays His thoughts on our hearts.
We must learn to persevere in our prayers. God is working on us or
the circumstances. The more we get to know Him, the fewer things we will ask for. The more tHe will
give us. He just wants us to
fellowship with Him.
In Ephesians chapter 6, Paul did not
ask the church to pray that he be released from prison, but that he
would continue to speak fearlessly for Christ in spite of his
imprisonment.
I can NOT emphasize how much these to sermons impacted me. Dr. Stanley puts his biblical teaching into such a practical way. I really found great answers to the question, "why doesn't God seem to answer all prayers. He DOES and Dr. Stanley does a great job of illustrating the answer.
https://www.intouch.org/listen/featured/the-key-to-answered-prayer-part-1
https://www.intouch.org/listen/featured/the-key-to-answered-prayer-part-2
