In BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) this week, the answer to this question was so gracefully revealed to me. This year, we are studying the Gospel of John and this week we studied the Epistle 1 John. The lesson notes stated: "true faith results in assurance of salvation and CONFIDENCE in answered prayers. Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing OUR will on God or bending His will to ours.....It is in prayer that we see God's will, align with it, and rest in it. If we pray according to HIS will, the certainty of answers is IMMEDIATE although the actuality may be in the future.....not every prayer gets a positive answer although they are ALL answered."
How incredibly true!! I am SO guilty of praying for things according to my will, the results I want, rather than trust in the Lord completely and know that He is listening and will answer in His own brilliant way according to His plan for us.
This concept really came crashing down on me many years ago when I prayed continuously for God to bless me with a child. My prayers were lifted daily, sometimes numerous times throughout the day but to no avail. I was devastated that He wasn't answering my prayers (or so I thought). As in Garth's song, "just because He doesn't answer, doesn't mean He don't care....some of Gods greatest gifts are unanswered prayers". They may not be answered according to our will, our timeline, our expectations....but they are all answered.
Indeed God was listening and my prayers were answered......in His time, according to His plan; thank goodness for that! Not only has he blessed me with a loving and faithful husband whom I adore, but He has entrusted Dave and me together to love and raise THREE beautiful angels on loan from Heaven. As LTD say alot, "God is good!" Actually, He is the "Best"! :)
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