ON PRAYER (PART 4)
I Thess 5:17
" Pray without ceasing "
Luke 18:1
" ... men ought always to pray, and not to faint, ... "
Today, in the continuation of our discourse on prayer, we exhort to the effect that we ought never to give up, but rather, to be persistent in prayers!
When we pray we expect God to hear and to send us His answers quickly thereto. But oftentimes, we experience delays and with that, we are not comfortable, with the tendency to give up, thinking that God has not heard us, or perhaps that there is something wrong with us or with our mode of prayer. As mortals, we forget certain important factors in our relationship with God; for instance, that we do not operate the way God does. The Bible says that God's one day is our one thousand years and vice-versa (2 Peter 3:8). Besides, we forget that there may be other factors that are at play which are beyond us and our comprehension; for instance, Daniel's answer to prayer was delayed for twenty one days by evil forces (Daniel 10:13).
Anyway, all things work together for our good, according to God's Word, including delayed answers to our prayer! I have come to discover that when our prayers are not answered as quickly as we expect, we come to realize that the benefits of fellowship, the nearness and love of God can be more to us than the answers to our petition; and this serves to propel us to continue in prayers. For instance, what a blessing Jacob received through the delay of the answer to his prayer! Eventually, he saw God face-face, and as a prince, he had power with God and prevailed (Genesis 32:28). Another example is that of Hannah, the mother of Samuel. In her case, we have seen that the delay, the taunts by her adversary (Peninnah) paid off in the end because Samuel the son that was eventually given was far greater than the son she could have imagined or asked for! My discovery is that when God shows up after some considerable delay, the product of His answer to prayer is usually enormous. In this regard, consider Isaac, Jacob and Esau, Samson, Joseph, Samuel, John the Baptist, etc. These were great men of their days whose parents witnessed delays in prayers for them. God has a way of compensating you for the delay!
Therefore, do not be impatient or discouraged if the answer does not come as soon as you expect it; but continue rather in prayer. The widow in Luke 18 persisted and it paid off for her! God is not unfaithful to keep from you what He has promised you!
Have a blessed day!
PRAYER
Dearest Heavenly Father, help me to understand that you hear me and are ready to answer my prayers at all times. Though l experience what l may term as delay, help me to persist thereat to the end that your faithfulness is shown in my life, in Jesus name.