I will be honest with you that this really messes with my head. I mean, how can this be? When you are praying sincerely for a need in your life and it gets worse instead of better, what are you supposed to think about that?
Why even pray then?
It’s probably one of the hardest things to deal with. I have prayed for people to be healed and they died.
Okay you are probably hoping that your name is not on my prayer list right now. Well I’m not saying this always happens but when it does, it throws me a bit.
Ultimately we have to realize that God isn’t our personal genie. He doesn’t grant our wishes just because we ask.
In the Book of Exodus, we are reminded of the Israelites’ after Moses and Aaron had appealed to Pharaoh to let the people go. God had heard the cries of the Israelites, and sent Moses to plead on their behalf. However, instead of helping the situation, it hurt! Pharaoh severely cut the supplies needed for their work. The situation seemed to become worse and even Moses became discouraged.
The Israelites already were tasked with making bricks with straw but now had to maintain the quota without straw.
Why even pray then?
It’s probably one of the hardest things to deal with. I have prayed for people to be healed and they died.
Okay you are probably hoping that your name is not on my prayer list right now. Well I’m not saying this always happens but when it does, it throws me a bit.
Ultimately we have to realize that God isn’t our personal genie. He doesn’t grant our wishes just because we ask.
In the Book of Exodus, we are reminded of the Israelites’ after Moses and Aaron had appealed to Pharaoh to let the people go. God had heard the cries of the Israelites, and sent Moses to plead on their behalf. However, instead of helping the situation, it hurt! Pharaoh severely cut the supplies needed for their work. The situation seemed to become worse and even Moses became discouraged.
The Israelites already were tasked with making bricks with straw but now had to maintain the quota without straw.
Thanks Moses!
The story could have ended there, but Moses took his confusion and complaints to the Lord. Even more significant, he continued to obey God in spite of negative circumstances. Moses was full of doubt about his own abilities, and he was discouraged about the Israelites anger towards him, but he still continued to follow God’s path. We all know the outcome. God used his obedience to bring about a miraculous deliverance—just when things seemed impossible. In the end, terrible oppression made liberation seem even more incredible.
Even when the answer to our prayers go in the opposite direction - or worse - we can’t give up. God’s timing is crucial and He doesn’t rarely shares with us what He’s doing. Trusting is hard but a necessary part of prayer.
The old Hymn says “trust and obey”. When the answer doesn’t come we need to lean into the trust.
The story could have ended there, but Moses took his confusion and complaints to the Lord. Even more significant, he continued to obey God in spite of negative circumstances. Moses was full of doubt about his own abilities, and he was discouraged about the Israelites anger towards him, but he still continued to follow God’s path. We all know the outcome. God used his obedience to bring about a miraculous deliverance—just when things seemed impossible. In the end, terrible oppression made liberation seem even more incredible.
Even when the answer to our prayers go in the opposite direction - or worse - we can’t give up. God’s timing is crucial and He doesn’t rarely shares with us what He’s doing. Trusting is hard but a necessary part of prayer.
The old Hymn says “trust and obey”. When the answer doesn’t come we need to lean into the trust.
