Presenting ...
... a weekly letter of encouragement.
June 7, 1993
Good Morning!
Does God answer our prayers?
Yes and no. Of greater concern to God than answering our
prayers is the furtherance of His Glory and our becoming Christ-like.
Whether prayers are "answered" or not focus on these
two important issues. For example:
Hanna - A misunderstood, barren wife, cries out in desperation
to God for a son.
God's answer is "yes", and Samuel the prophet
is born. ( I Samuel 1)
Paul - A minister of the Gospel petitions God for the
removal of a bodily affliction.
God's answer is "no", and Paul remains physically
disabled. (II Corinthians 12:7 - 9)
God's answer to Hanna's prayer produced Samuel whom God
used to prepare Israel under King David for Her greatest era,
all of which redounded to God's glory.
God's denial of Paul's prayer helped develop in this high-powered
scholastic Christ-like character that was dependant upon Jesus
amidst the permanency of physical limitations:
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for
power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly therefore,
I will rather boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ
may dwell in me.
"Therefore I am well content with weakness, with
insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties,
for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."
(II Corinthians 12:9, 10)
God's will in responding to our prayers focuses on His glory
and our becoming Christ like. Everything else is negotiable.
"And this is the confidence which we have before Him,
that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears
us." (I John 5:14)
Have a great week!
Dwight Hill
© Copyright 1996 Dwight Hill. Unlimited permission to copy or use is hereby granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.
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