I am learning.
I am sure that God has been very patient with my learning curve.
All my life, prayer has been part of my life. It was the main theme in my dad's ministry, and it was taught and lived from birth up in our home.
Many times through the years I have prayed with complete and earnest passion and almost pleading, for God to answer specific needs and desires of my heart.
There have been many times when my assumption, as I prayed, was that God's answer would then remove the problem I was praying about, and the situation would be resolved and my prayers would be answered!
and yet...That didn't always happen.
It still doesn't always happen, not that way.
I am a slow learner.
I AM supposed to ask God, about everything, and I do...
but...
I am also supposed to obey Him in what He has already revealed to me in the situation, and often He has already shown me much more than what I am living up to.
Whether it's a relationship and I KNOW I am in the right and the other guy is SO wrong... and He quietly tells me to love that person as He loves me...
or... if I am seeking His 'next' in my own life and I need Him to make the path clearer, or even to supply an immediate need... and He says 'trust me, trust me, trust me'...
or... if I feel alone in a situation and I sincerely seek His filling of a void... and He tells me 'abide in me... I will never leave you or forsake you'.
I am learning some of His principles for living, living in the world He has placed me in. The answers are all there, or they are on the way, God hears every prayer, every plea.
Many times the answer itself is 'folded' into what He has already told me to do... trust, love, abide, obey, etc. As I do these things... the answer often 'unfolds' THROUGH that very obedience, and in the process, I have grown closer to Him and learned more about His faithfulness to me.
I love it just as much as the next guy, when God slaps a lightening bolt clear cut answer right in front of my eyes, but I am learning that His process in me is usually part of the answer, He is teaching me things as I wait for that answer, and then as I look back...
I see the way He has guided me to the answer, and I almost smile as I think... 'now isn't that just like God? He answered in a way I never would have thought of, and it's perfect!...
20 comments:
I believe, you hit the answer right on the head at the last sentence: "He answered in a way I never would have thought of, and it's perfect!... "
Prayer more often than NOT, changes US,not God.
Just a bit of my learning through the years and I have more to GO!!!!! Anita
Oh yes, Sonja. This was such a necessary word for me today. I have spent some recent time in disappointed prayers - asking, pleading for God to "answer" prayers (MY way...hmmm).
I think I'm hearing the same thing you are - "Trust Me, trust Me..."
He hears - I have to hold on to that Truth. And, He will answer in HIS time and in HIS way!
GOD BLESS!
Sonja, I'm learning these lessons too. I pray and pray and nothing seems to happen. But I do believe He is changing me. I think I've been going through the stages of grief. For a long time I was in shock and then denial and expected God to eventually bless me with all that I lost. I went through sadness and depression. I think I am almost to the point of acceptance for whatever the Lord has for me.
I've let go of most of my material possessions. I'm getting to the point of simplicity. After all, it's just stuff!
I know that He never leaves me and He knows exactly what I need. I am learning to trust Him.
Love you,
Debbie
How true this is. I need to remember his ways are not my ways, his timing not my timing, his understanding is not my understanding.
He does always answer prayer, but many times it wasn't the way I would have imagined
Wonderful post God always answers our prayers. It is what we expect that probably throws us off.
Great post. So needed it this Monday.
Oh I came here yesterday...and knew I needed to come back and soak in.
Thanks for all the reminders...somehow it seems like the older I get the more I am to rely on prayer alone and keep my mouth shut, oh my, isn't that hard.
I started the day reading and praying for my adult children...Stormie O's book...and there is such power in just knowing God is in control, and I am not...
And yes and amen...those answers usually come in different packages, but always better than expected. I get to focus on the mess from unwrapping the answer instead of seeing the gift within.
Oh so true friend...so often the answer is folded into what God has already revealed to us.
You said it best here: "I am also supposed to obey Him in what He has already revealed to me in the situation, and often He has already shown me much more than what I am living up to."
I had a friend long ago who said, "walk in what you know". That NEVER left me!
Thank you for this powerful message that challenges and blesses me...
I love and appreciate you!
Prayer is one of my favorite things. I love learning how to communicate with Him and to think the lessons are never ending thrills me to know just how very deep I can go with Him.
I am specifically being challenged in a few areas of my spiritual walk, none more so than in the area of trust.
I'm greatly looking forward to leading a very small group Bible study at our church by Alicia Chole (one of my very favorite writers/teachers/mentors). A study called "Choices: to be or not to be a woman of God." I think it will be a great "heart work" for me.
Don't you wish your dad could just sit us all down and tell us a thing or two? I'd love that round table discussion!!!!!!! Even more so, I'd love to pray with him. Some day...
peace~elaine
As always I am so impressed with what you know. Every time you are teaching, I feel like my soul just drinks everything in. At the core is always obey. I was thinking just today, how simple God makes life. Just do what He says. Not what I think but in His Book. The older I get the more I see how simple He makes it for me. When I first got saved, the first job God gave me was teaching 2 and 3 year olds.I wasn't teaching for them but for me. That was where He taught me. As I taught these babies his principals, I learned too. So I always think He just knows us so well. I like your last sentence. "He answers the way I never thought of." That is so true.
Thank you for your very deep thoughts.
For a variety of reasons, this post meant so much to me. I'm so glad I took some time to catch up on blogs tonight. I have learned the lesson of the process more times than I can count. And yet, there are times when I really need to be reminded again. This is one such time.
Praying for grace in the process.
I must tell you that every post I read and every comment of yours I read, and in my heart, I think you are one beautiful, gracious lady whose love for your Heavenly Father comes through in everything. I learn so much from you. Thank you! I pray you keep blogging.
that was a word for me tonight...so glad that I stopped by....Thanks for the post...
"I am also supposed to obey Him in what He has already revealed to me in the situation."
Oh, I readily identify with this statement! Sometimes I am looking for a "new answer" to a prayer when God keeps directing me back to an "old answer"!
These are some beautiful thoughts on prayer. Thank you, Sonja.
hey sonja!
i have missed you this summer and am so happy to
meditate through your wonderful summer posts!
yes, my prayers are being answered! and yes, i still
need my prayers to be answered. He answers many
in mysterious ways. the events that seemed so
devastating led to miracles.
nothing new at my place, just wanted to say, "hi!"
love,
lea
Dear Sonja,
Trust, love, abide, obey,even e.t.c.
I am so not there. I am tired, down, powerless, disobeying and disappointed, mostly in myself.
Even so, I say with Peer, "Lord to whom shall I go?"
That is my testimony for today. I neither can nor want to stop praying, and I know I am his child with all my iniquities. He has won the victory once and for all. I just need some rest, I guess.
Thanks for being a person and a place where I do not need to pretend.
Thanks for preaching the gospel loud and clear.
Your Felisol
I have had many, many struggles connecting the obedience dot to the answered prayer one. In fact, I have a little saying I whisper to myself whenever I'm clueless (which is quite often, actually): "When all else fails, follows His directions.".
Funny how quickly the fog clears or the delays abate when He gets me where He wants ME.
Love your heart!
I so needed this one today, Sonja! Thanks!
Thanks Sonja for your Blogs & sharing responses. Encouragement is clearly one of your gifts which surely takes patience and obedience. similar to "things go better with coke" so our gifts go better with the 9+ fruit of the Spirit, which you exhibit. Keep on "Blogging out the Fog."
We just returned from visiting Joe and Molly and observing them LOVE & discipline their sweet babies! John
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