"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon
him, to all that call upon him in truth."
Psalm 145:18

God Answers Our Prayers
 

   The Holy Spirit works on our behalf ~ a relationship of total intimacy with the Father ~ so our unspoken prayers are before the Father's throne even before we speak them, or even before we are aware of our needs. In ways that cannot be known with groans that words cannot express, the Spirit brings before the throne of a gracious and merciful God all our cares and concerns.

   "In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me." Psalm 86:7

   God will answer us! Can we really be so confident? YES! He assures us that He will answer our prayers!

   "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Matthew 7:7

   How often do we pray half-heartedly, doubting God will hear? "Ask, and it shall be given you." All that is required when we pray is faith. Yes, faith! Jesus often had to rebuke His disciples for their weak faith. And, in connection with His miracles, how often did He commend people for their faith? Effective prayer and faith go together!

 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Matthew 21:22

   Adding the petition. "Lord, strengthen my faith" to a prayer will work wonders. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

   "Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." Acts 12:5

   God does the most amazing things! Peter had not known that his fellow Christians prayed "without ceasing" asking the Lord to deliver him from the prison. It was the only thing they could do. They were absolutely helpless, and therefore they were all the more willing to let the Lord handle the matter. But they had not expected that their prayer would be answered ~ their faith was weak. We can all learn from this story of Peter too. We are praying to the true God who loves us dearly, asking things of Him who can do all things. We need to have the courage to step to the throne of grace and ask God for the impossible! That is when our faith really begins to shine! Acknowledge God to be the great God He really is ~ nothing would please Him more.

   "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

   Does the Savior know all our needs and wants? Surely He does, but He still invites us to pray about any and all of them. God is capable of granting us anything He wants to and fully answers all our petitions according to His good and gracious will.

   "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." 1John 3:22

   True prayer commits us to action. Prayer without doing God's will is insincere. It displeases God. When we pray for good health, we should do our part~ get the proper rest, eat healthy, and exercise. If we ask God to improve our marriage, we should forgive and be patient and considerate. If we ask God to overcome our loneliness, we should be friendly and look for ways to help others. If we pray for world peace, we should be peacemakers wherever we are.

   Jesus offers an excellent example of the connection between prayer and action. The night before His death Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but Yours be done." The Father answered Jesus' prayer and Jesus acted out the Father's will. Our Lord did this extremely hard thing because He loves us in an extreme way. As our love for Jesus grows through God's grace given us in the Word and sacrament, so will our obedience to God's will and our willingness to be part of God's answer to our prayers.


   Heavenly Father, grant that when we pray, we accept Your answer in faith and trust Your good will. Lord, we know You hear our prayers and always answer in our best interest, just as any loving father answers his child ~ sometimes yes, sometimes no, and even sometimes wait ~ but always with love. We place our trust in You, dear Lord, to take care of our spiritual and physical needs. Above all, strengthen our faith. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

   God Bless You All as your faithful prayer and thanksgiving receives answers to guide you through each day.  

"Lord Dictated Them"