Prayers Answered

When we start believing in Christ, when we have been following Him obediently our whole lives, when we change our lives and start becoming different people, what do we expect Him to really do for us?   What are we looking for?  What do we really expect to happen?  If we have been struggling with our finances, do we expect Him to start sending us more business?  If we have been struggling with our health, do we expect Him to heal us?  If we have been struggling with an addiction, do we expect Him to instantly take those past desires away?  The list can go on and on.  I only named a few things that have been my own personal struggle.

I cannot think of any passages anywhere in the bible that tell us, "once we "believe" our lives will become easy and all past hurts and struggles will just disappear."   If there are let me know!  But in my small amount of reading just this morning, I did see something that we are promised...

1 Corinthians 1:4-9, " I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts He has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.  Through Him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.  This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true.  Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.  God will do this, for He is faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Now for my personal experience.  When Jason and I almost lost everything we had, because we were caught upside down in our finances, did we expect God to come in and salvage everything with no effort from us?  We wanted Him to, we begged Him to send us business!  It did not happen that way.  Everything that I held with great importance was stripped away.  Because of my health, which I was begging God to heal me from my MS, my food in my home was of great importance.  I wanted to be a stay at home mom and home-school my boys. Everything changed for me.  I had to start working to help my husband with the bills and our food budget was drastically reduced!  I was tempted to become very resentful of Jason for "not taking better care of us."  I was tempted to blame God for not coming in and playing Santa Clause for us and giving us gifts that I knew He could give us for our "good behavior."  But I worked very hard not to let my emotions take me away into bitter land.  Through turning to Christ, instead of turning away from Him, I found a spirit of thankfulness for what we did still have. 

I have worked very diligently to change my life.  I have had to submit when nothing in my body wanted to submit.  I have had to break the strongholds of addictions, of feeling abused, of finances, of health issues, the list could go on and on and so often I am still coming up with something else which I am having to lay aside.  But, for the sake of Christ, from the gifts of my Lord I am able to enjoy this life and see the truth that has been promised me.  I have been promised a relationship, a personal encounter with God.  "God will do this, for He is faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."  


I can promise you this, this life is not easy!  I can promise you this, our Lord and Savior is so worth the effort.  It is through God that I have found freedom.  It is through Christ that I can look in the mirror every morning and remember that I am worth the effort.  It is through Christ that I have discovered my spiritual gifts.  I can speak softly to others, instead of lashing out at them.  I have knowledge that I would not have without God's help.  What are you expecting of God?  


1 Corinthians 1:30-31, "God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin.  Therefore, as the Scriptures say, 'If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.'”

Our prayers should not be that we "get" something from God, but that we become one with Him.  It is in becoming one with Him that our eyes become open and we can see all of the good and perfect gifts He gives us each day.  “No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”  My prayers have been answered in ways that I could have never imagined.  We appreciate our money in ways we could have never appreciated it without this struggle.  I can see an addiction coming upon me and stop it before it takes hold of my life.  I know how to nourish and love my body like never before.  Even if one day we loose everything and have to move in with my parents, even if my body stops working completely and I can no longer function physically like I can now, I can still rejoice in the Lord.  "But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.  Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.  For, 'Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?' But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ," (2:14-16).

Thinking of Prayer as Jesus Taught

What are your prayers?  Can you see God working in you through the hard times you are having?  Is your heart becoming soft, or bitter?  The answer to these questions reveal our hearts to us.  How is God answering our prayers for our own hearts, for our own protection?