Are we so anxious for the answer to our prayers that sometimes we feel that God is not listening to us? Do we sometimes teach God what to do to answer our petitions? Church Fathers say that God has only three answers to our prayers: yes, no and later. We may wonder, why later? Could not God give us what we ask for now, at this very moment when we feel we need it most? The Church Fathers also teach us the doctrine of God's sovereignty over all His creation. We can never question God nor His motives for everything He does, for He is God. God gives us what we need and not what we want. And God answers our prayers in His own perfect time and not when and how we want it to be. God is also dramatic. He is fond of pushing us to the very edge of the cliff where we have nowhere else to go, and at the very last moment, He delivers us with dramatic and unmistakable effect that we can never deny His divine intervention and providence.
God's intervention and providence are greatly influenced by the degree of faith by the petitioner. The Bible says, "it is impossible to please God without faith." Faith is the language of the spiritual realm. Who among us would readily sacrifice the life of his beloved son if ordered by God to do so? But Abraham did. And God rewarded his faith and credited it to him as righteousness.
When we pray, let us humble ourselves before a sovereign God who created everything visible and invisible, and let us trust in His unfailing love that in His own perfect time, He will answer our petitions. Prayer with unshakable faith can move mountains.
Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, God's Perfect Time, Divine Providence, Faith
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Motivational
