There are many moments in life when we pray and ask the Lord to meet a certain need, and because we don’t receive the answer right away, we feel discouraged and tempted to quit praying. It is important that we remember our God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. He knows exactly how and when to answer our prayer even though we may think we know how and when the answer should come. I encourage you to be strong in the Lord and never allow the voice of the enemy to tell you that God doesn’t answer prayer. God answers and gives to us our hearts desires, but it is not always on our timetable. Continually trust and know that God has your best interest in mind.
THE WEDDING RING
Two days after our wedding, we arrived at our honeymoon spot — cottages on the northern California coastline with their own private beach. We went down the cliff path to the beach and tossed a Frisbee back and forth for a while, but since it was late in the day, my wife asked if we could go back and make ourselves some dinner. Towards the end of dinner my wife took a look at my left hand and asked “Where’s your wedding ring?” It was gone and I felt that wave of emotion go up and down my body. “It must have come off when we were throwing the Frisbee.” We hurried down to the beach.
As soon as we got to the beach we had our little prayer meeting: “God, please help us to find the ring.” We knew exactly where we had been and got to work. We divided the whole area into squares and began our systematic search. Soon it was too dark to continue, so we went back to our cottage deflated. Next morning we rose early and continued our search, but didn’t find the ring. Needless to say, my wife was very unhappy, and I encouraged her to forget about it and try to enjoy our trip.
We spent the next three days on various activities, and on the fourth day I suggested we go back down to the beach. As we climbed down the stairs I could tell my wife was intending to start searching again. I told her to let go of it, she said no way. As soon as we got to the beach, she started searching again, but something happened to the beach since we were last there. A high tide had completely washed over the whole beach and, right where we had been throwing the Frisbee, someone had been spinning circles in the sand with a 4-wheel drive vehicle.
I told my wife it was hopeless. She ignored me and went down by the waters edge to search. I sat down cross-legged on the beach and cried out to God several times: “Please help her to face reality.” As I said that the last time, I bowed my head and there, up on top of a mound of sand, right between my legs, was my ring. I remember crying out loud “LORD, forgive me” as I flung myself down on the sand. My wife came running over, having no idea what was wrong, and when she found out, we both praised our GOD. We wrote the whole story in the sand so everyone going there that day would see that GOD really does answer prayer.
By Chris Geary
Never allow the voice of pessimism to keep you from being steadfast in your prayers. The Bible declares in James 5:16, “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” The word effectual means, “Producing or capable of producing an intended result.” When we pray in faith believing for an answer to come, our effectual prayers are producing and capable of producing the answer to our prayers. (Hebrews 10:23) (Mark 11:23-26)
The moment we pray for an answer to come, we are putting into motion of producing our desired result, but we must also be fervent in our asking. To be fervent means to be eager, sincere, heartfelt, unfeigned and zealous. In other words, we are to pray expecting the answer to come. The Bible says
that God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. I encourage you to never quit praying for your answer to come. God may not answer right away because He sees the big picture, but continue in prayer and know that our God is an on time God. He will never fail you, never leave you nor will He ever forsake you. (Luke 11:5-13) (Hebrews 11:6) (Hebrews 13:5-6)
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
Psalm 103:2-5 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases; Who redeems thy life from destruction; who crowns thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfies thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
Gods Work Ministry
