One of the most frequent challenges of the Christian life is persistence in prayer when no answer seems to be forthcoming from God. Why is God silent? Is He even listening? Does He care? Why is there no response from Him?
Today I finished a book entitled The Prayer Odyssey by Dave Early. The author makes an excellent point in the chapter entitled “Sticking It Out Prayer.” He relates his own experience of becoming chronically ill and praying for relief and cure over several months before he finally realized this:
“But even if I was not getting better, even if I only got worse, God would still be worth my loyalty and love. I deserve eternal death and He has given me eternal life and abundant life. Even if He never said another thing to me, did another thing for me, gave another thing to me, He would still deserve all of the love and devotion I can give Him.”
What a good insight. I think God agrees:
"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold,
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation."
Habukkuk 3:17-18
A bit of country music theology in response to this post. A hit song from a few years ago by Garth Brooks called "Thanking God for Unswered Prayers." Theme of the song was a guy going to his high school reunion and meeting up with the girl of his dreams from high school. Through those years he had proyed over and over to God that he could have the chance to marry her but his prayers were unanswered.
ReplyDeleteAt the reuinion he had the revelation that God not answering those prayers turned out to be a great gift from God as he now had a beautiful wife and children that he loved dearly as a result of his earlier prayers going seemingly unheard.
I would stick with the Bible over WOKQ but the point is a good one for us to consider. Just because it seems that are prayers are unanswered are they really? Or is it that sometimes we want to believe that we know what's best for us over the will of God?
Love this Cookie. Hits home.
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