Ever wonder how your prayers get answered?

You are never alone...even though you may feel like it

I've always been intrigued by prayer. I've often heard that the answer to prayer is either "yes, no, or wait" I want to dig a little deeper on those answers. 

I want to look at it as this. Answers to prayer may be grouped into the following...

• Sometimes immediately.
   Isaiah 65:24  I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
  Daniel 9:21 As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice.
  Luke 18:7-8 So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!

   
• Sometimes after delay.
  
   Daniel 10:12 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.
   
• Sometimes differently from our desire.
   2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 
   
• Beyond expectation.
   Jeremiah 33:2-3 This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
  Ephesians 3:14-20 ¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

   ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

  
  

  There are many ways that God answers prayers...and sometimes His answer is not what we want or desire. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 

  I often find myself wondering what is the big picture? Often I pray asking for His Will to be done, then I wonder what His will is. I can remember several month back I was at a men's retreat and the evangelist that was there came over to me and said, "Tim, stop focusing on God's divine plan...that is for Him to know, not you. Do what you are doing now and stop always praying for God's will and actually learn to receive what He has for you."

  You see that really spoke to me. I was searching for God's will so much, that I was actually taking for granted the blessings that the Lord was giving me. In other words - I couldn't see the forest for the trees - I am missing the BIG picture. 

  This is a unique BLOG entry for me...pointed at me - I sometimes just need to write my thoughts out....then I can actually think more clearly. If this does help you though - Blessings to you !!!