Right from Sunday school, I was taught that prayer is a way of communicating with God. I understand that communication is two-way but at times I forget that. I expect God to do things the way I want forgetting that He is God and I also have to listen to what He says. I know I'm not alone and I want to share what I have learned about prayer.
When we pray, God listens to that prayer and He responds. However, He has about three responses: Yes, Wait, and No. I'm usually not ready to hear the last two answers, Wait and No. God is God and He was there at the beginning and He will be there at the end. He has the timeline of events in His hands. He knows all things because He is the master of all things. He knows what we want before we even ask but He too knows when He should give us those things. That’s why we say God's time is the best. When God says to wait, it doesn’t mean that He does not want to give you but there could be a better time for Him to give us those things. Be patient and wait for God's time. Do not despair if what you prayed for is delaying, trust in God's timing. Again when God says No, trust God that it is for your good, Jeremiah 29:11. He has good plans for you and He has a good reason for that. Remember when David wanted to build the Temple and God said you will not build my temple because your hands spilled a lot of blood but your son will build that house. God can never wish bad upon your life. Maybe He has denied you what you have asked for because He wants you to learn something but that position is not permanent. When He told the Israelites that they will go into captivity, they wished that it would not happen but it did. When it happened they wished it was for a few years but God said seventy years. But God knew that it was for a cause and a greater good, and after seventy years, He would bring them back. It may not be the way you like it but God will fulfill those dreams. You need to understand God's response and wait for Him. Trust Him and keep praying because when God says wait He knows the best timing and when He says No then He has better plans. The problem we have is we pray only when we have already made plans for ourselves but we do not seek to understand God's plans for our lives before we start making our plans. Understanding God's responses is much easier for a person who stays in the presence of God. When you fellowship with God you already know what God is planning and what He wants to do. Noah built an ark because he knew a great flood was coming. Abraham pleaded with God to save Lot and his family because he knew God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. When you stay in the presence of God, even your goals will be aligned with His will and what He wants to do. You will know each season and you plan accordingly. When you constantly pray, God will give you what to crave. Instead of setting your mind on irrelevant matters, you get focused on the right things. The Word of God says to pray continually, 1 Thessalonians 5:17. When you set goals you must keep praying for those things. The devil will also come and fight your success. The word of God says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but spiritual forces of evil in high places, Ephesians 6:12. We fight our battles in prayer and God will come through for us. Remember when Daniel prayed but for some days his reply did not come because there was spiritual warfare in high places. When what you prayed for has been delayed, do not worry yourself, just keep praying about it, Philippians 4:6. Keep your faith and trust God. Keep praying until it happens. The kind of prayer that makes things happen is earnest and pure. The word of God says the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Remove evil from your hearts and set goals with a pure heart not seeking to compete or outshine other people. Remember the heart is deceitful but God searches the heart and knows all things. Be sincere when you pray and God will answer your prayer. Do not take prayer as another option to get what you want. You should have faith and never doubt. Prayer is not just the words you say but you should also live the prayer. Above all, remember this verse when you make your goals, Proverbs 16:3, “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.”
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