September 12, 2022
I think testimonies can both grow us and can hurt us. When we see someone’s prayer answered immediately and someone else’s answered immediately and someone else praying for years and no answer. It can get discouraging. We are to wonder several things:
- What am I doing wrong? This is often the first go to. I’ve seen where people point at the person: you’re not believing enough. You have hidden sin. You complain too much. Essentially laying a heap of blame on the person whose prayer has not yet been answered.
- I guess Yahweh does not care enough about me. Not gonna lie, I believed this for years. I felt like he took care of all the “important” people. They got the job, they got married, they worked in their ministry. But we’re not important enough to warrant Yahweh’s attention no matter how you live your life. This one of the hardest to overcome truthfully.
- That we should just give up. Why bother? Yahweh will do what he wants and he obviously doesn’t want to answer my prayers. The specific prayer requests.
Why is this on my heart at the moment? Someone commented on a person’s comment saying that (in essence) that they aren’t married because they are harbouring secret sin, they don’t trust Yahweh enough and I stopped reading at that point. Because it hurt to read that response. As someone who hasn’t seen some (a good bit, if I’m honest) of my prayers answered and all the responses from this person saying basically, you’re at fault. It hurts. And so often we don’t consider how much condemnation hurts the person being condemned. It hurts. But I will submit that many times prayers aren’t answered not because we’re doing something wrong, but because we are doing something right.
Caveat: there are times prayers aren’t answered because of hidden sins etc, but there are so many times when that is not the case.
Here’s why there are times prayers aren’t answered:
- It’s not the right time. Yahweh’s timing is perfect and it’s always for his glory. Would Lazarus’ story have such an impact if Jesus had arrived twelve hours after he died? No.
- He’s still preparing us. Yahweh is not gonna put us in a house without a solid foundation. But so often we think the unanswered prayers are because of neglect when he’e ensuring that we are ready for the promise.
- It’s truly not for us. Even in a great relationship, even when we are hearing and following Yahweh, there may be a desire that we have that Yahweh knows that if he gives us, it would/could throw us of course. But we don’t always see it. And it’s not to say that it’s a bad request or that we’re not having true communication with Yahweh. That’s why at the end of it all, we submit our will to his.
And honestly right now I’m in the middle of what seems to be an unanswered prayer after doing exactly what Yahweh asked me to do. And I read testimonies of how Yahweh came through for so many others and for a moment or ten, doubts crowded in. Maybe I heard wrong. Maybe I’m covering up sin somewhere. Maybe I’m not as important. The thing is? I had to remind myself that Yahweh loves me unconditionally. That he works things according to his timing and that everything is for his glory. The reality that I am still under pressure in the physical, means that it’s not yet the time, but it also means that I need to keep my faith in him. Trust him that even though it looks a certain way now, it is already done and whatever happens is for his glory. Would I have preferred not to go through this period of uncertainty? Absolutely. After all, watching bills piling up, seeing the vehicle that is used so often for his ministry currently parked up. Knowing that there is nothing that I can do of myself can cause a person to wonder. But I will choose instead to hold on to his promise that he will never leave me nor forsake me. It will be according to his will.
TODAY’S THANKFUL TALLY
- Yahweh always answers prayers. Always.
- Yahweh’s reward.
- P2 was not seriously injured. Somehow his mouth got entangled with another dog’s collar and they weren’t able to separate. Even though there was slight bleeding where his tooth had hooked up, he (and the other dog) is okay.
- Habakkuk
- Day One
Yahweh, thank you for answering prayers. Thank you for hearing and for speaking to me. Keep us Yahweh. Remember this household. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
