Faith and Prayer
From a young age I was taught to pray. I have prayed and seen others pray for things they needed and wished for. I have also seen people stop praying. Often those who stop praying did so because they did not get an answer. It's hard to understand why some people get an answer almost as soon as their knee hits the ground while others don’t get an answer for a long time, sometimes years. We often end up throwing prayer aside because we believe that God does not care for our problems. We get discouraged especially when we hear others have an answer and we don’t. We lose faith, and that leads us to stop praying, which in turn leads us away from God. It's like a downward spiral that ends in dismay and even depression. Eventually we are so far from God it seems impossible to get back to Him.
I once saw a post that said: “Sometimes a delay is protection”. God always answers our prayers. It is not always in the ways we expect or want it to be answered, but it is always for our good and the greater good. I wonder how would we react if we had to, like Daniel, be thrown in the pit with the Lions? Would we trust like He did that God was still with him? What would have happened to Daniel had he stopped praying once he heard that despite his earlier prayers he was going to be thrown in the lion’s den anyway? The seed of doubt is planted in our minds by the enemy of our soul. He wants us to look at others' answered prayers as an evidence of God’s love for them, but his lack of love for us. He wants us to be blind to God’s blessings toward us.
A few years back, I got into trouble in school. My grades were bad, I was cheating on tests, and I was not doing my school work. I prayed that God would help me with my school work. Later in the week my mom found out what was happening, and I got punished. She also watched me like a hawk. By the end of the month my grades had gotten better, and my prayer was answered. The answer did not come in the way I wanted it. God did not perform a miracle, I did not magically get A’s. When I got caught by my mom, I got angry. God had not helped me get good grades. Satan blinded me to God’s answer and the blessing I received by the way my prayer was answered. Having my mom watch me so closely got me back on track; it taught me a lesson. Daniel prayed, and God did answer his prayer in a way that not only helped him, but also helped the King and can help me to have faith. God answered my prayers with “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you” Philippians 4:13; and He today tells me “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” Matthew 7:7.
Always have faith that God loves you enough to answer your prayers in the way He knows is best for you. Don’t let Satan control your thoughts and pull you into depression. God knows what plans he has for you, plans to prosper and to bless you.
- Isaac D.
