God hears our prayers.
Last Sunday we prayed for five individuals by name who need a miracle because of their health circumstances. We also prayed together as a church that our shipment of lights for the upcoming Neighborhood Church Christmas Light Show would arrive quickly so that we could kick off presentations this week.
One of the people we prayed for is my Great Uncle Bruce who has COVID-19. The doctors said he didn’t have much of a chance to live, but they were concentrating on making him comfortable. Uncle Bruce said he was ready to go be with Jesus. That seems like the time you might stop praying for healing and think to yourself, “Well, he’s lived a long life and doesn’t mind dying.” That would be a faulty assumption on our part. His new wife (who also has COVID) is praying that he lives. They just tied the knot earlier this year – two eighty-somethings marrying again after losing their spouses years ago. Bruce’s face lights up now and life has returned after the long depression of grief in losing my Aunt Pat. Bruce serves as the pastor at his long-term care facility and his wife partners with him in ministry. Could it be that there is a story of God’s power and grace that he could learn and teach to his peers?
God heard our prayers and Bruce began making a sustained turnaround on Sunday afternoon. The doctors are amazed. He is eating, talking with nurses, and getting better. The Lord has started a miraculous work and now we are continuing to pray that He will finish the work and bring total healing. God will get all the glory for this; modern medicine is helpful, but God is the one who heals us.
God answers our prayers in different ways.
In comparison to life and death it almost feels silly mentioning here, but on that same morning, we prayed for the Christmas lights to arrive. On Monday afternoon we got word that the container with our lights had not been offloaded from the cargo ship and that it would be a few more days – perhaps Friday or Saturday before we can pick them up. It would be easy for God to coordinate the stacking of the containers so that ours was the first one to be unloaded, but He didn’t do that. Now our plans for the Christmas Light show will be pushed back one whole week. The delay is a disappointment, but not the end of the world.
How do we process God's response to our prayers?
So, how do we process our prayers being answered, or sometimes, seemingly not being answered? When we see one prayer answered quickly, and the other delayed, it can make you think that…
1) Prayer is like playing the lottery and hoping to get lucky – but it is not that way at all.
2) You also might think that you prayed with more people or more fervently – that’s why the first one was heard and the other one just lacked enough gusto - nope.
3) This may rattle your faith and make you wonder if God even cares if he doesn’t say yes in your timing every time.
4) You wouldn’t be the first person to discount prayer as only wishful thinking that looks for a coincidence and calls it answered prayer.
The truth is, God does answer prayer.
While you might find some of your own feelings or thoughts in that list, the truth is that God does answer prayer. He answers: yes, no, or wait.
God’s immediate answer “yes” in healing my Uncle Bruce delights us to no end. Since God is a good father, his answer will not always be “yes” because he wants the best for us and sometimes a “yes” now will mean forfeiting something greater later. We love it when God answers “yes” quickly, but some healings and other answers are a bit of a slower “yes” and that requires us to be constantly watching to see how God is addressing the situation(s) we bring to him.
When God answers “no” or seems like he’s not heard you at all, we question God’s goodness and wonder what we have done to be in the “doghouse” of unanswered prayers. God doesn’t punish his children by ignoring their cries. He’s not one who withholds from you because you didn’t read your Bible every day last week or yelled at the guy in the car in front of you. As an earthly father, I would never give my toddler a chainsaw – it wouldn’t be the right gift for their age or life stage. God is the same way. He knows what we need before we even ask him. God’s “no” doesn’t mean he loves us any less or that He has changed. As humans we think we know best, but God sees the entire picture and is orchestrating so many more pieces and parts than we can see. When we hear “no” we have to trust Him in new ways rather than abandoning our faith.
The most puzzling answer might be when God answers “wait”. This answer to our prayer is really an opportunity for us to learn about His timing. I think of it like one of God’s training programs for us if we will hang in there with Him and keep seeking Him. God's Word tells us that if anyone lacks wisdom, he can ask God for wisdom and it will be given generously. When we get a “wait” answer to our prayers, we need to start “watching.”
Devotion, Expectation, and Gratefulness
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” ~ Colossians 4:2
Devotion indicates perseverance and not willing to give up. I was committed to praying for my Uncle Bruce until he drew his last breath. I’ve said several times recently that “gratitude is the secret weapon of the sons and daughters of God”. Our prayers offered with thanksgiving are made with faith, expecting God to come through. Being “watchful” is really important when you get a “no” or a “wait” answer from God.
Our Christmas lights situation is a good illustration.
We prayed for our lights to arrive this week and now they will be delayed one week. That seems like a “wait” answer. How shall we process this? A few things to consider:
- God can do all things, so if this shipment is delayed, there’s a way that God will use the delay for His glory.
- God is always working so we must be “watchful” to see where God is working and join Him in His work.
- God always hears our prayers, and He is not a punishing, withholding God.
- God cares about people in our city; He has plans for them to be prayed for during our light show at the prayer tent.
- God loves the people at the Christmas light company and wants to reveal himself through us to them.
Waiting often results in a bigger blessing.
What if… now that we will run our Christmas Light Show seven days a week instead of just three days, someone is going to be touched by God on a Tuesday or a Wednesday (maybe the only days they will be able to come)?
What if… because of all this drama, the people at the Christmas light company take steps toward Jesus because of the love they experience and a Godly response to this less-than- favorable situation?
What if… someone is supposed be involved as a volunteer in this event, and because of the schedule change, now they can engage in it, and it unlocks passions and gifts in them?
What if… the Lord was protecting our people from a major car accident on the freeway if they would have picked up the lights the day we expected them, and this delay is actually saving their life?
Thank you, Jesus, for your peace.
In this delay, and “wait” from God, I have so much peace. I suspect God is up to something, and I want us to be watchful to see what He might be doing. This is an illustration of how we can respond when our prayers don’t seem to be answered with a “yes” right away. God loves it when we wait on him, because it means we are growing in our trust.
Thank you, Jesus, for teaching us through situations like this. Help us to see your hand moving!
Neighborhood Church Christmas Light Show
Our Neighborhood Church Christmas Light Show will run every evening beginning Thursday, December 10 through Tuesday December 22. Shows will start on every hour and every half hour, from 6 to 9 p.m. Rain or shine!!
I look forward to seeing all of you who choose to worship with us in the Dome this Sunday at either 9:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. All safety precautions, masks, and social distancing apply.
You can also live stream our 11:00 a.m. service on Facebook and YouTube
If you missed last week's message, "Hope Through the Lens of the Bible", click here.
