Answered Prayers

 

God answers prayers. 

It is a simple statement - but very profound.  Sometimes we just need that reminder.

His answers often come in one of three ways.  Yes, No, or wait. 

Some prayers are answered over a long period of time, and it feels like pushing a boulder uphill as we pray.  Others are instantaneous and so fast they catch us off guard like those who were praying for Peter’s release from jail while he was knocking on their door.  “What?? That can’t be Peter!?  We are Still Praying!”

Many of my prayers have been that boulder pushing up hill asking again and again for God’s answer.  But today is not about those prayers.  Today is about the instant ones.  Today is a day of hope and joy as I share a couple of instant answers that came so quick, I had to stop and say, “Thank you Lord!” in the middle of my prayer request.

The first one was when we lost an employee at our place of business.  Replacing someone in the business is normally a grueling process of advertising and interviews that can take weeks and sometimes months to complete.  The last time we went through this process it took 45 applicants to secure the position.

So, we buckled down and reached out to friends and asked for prayers as the process started.

The advertisements were placed, and the resumes started coming in.  I scheduled a few interviews.  The first interview went exceptionally well and the next thing we knew – we had a new employee!

“What Lord?? We are Still Praying!”

When friends asked us the following week how things were going, I was hesitant because we had received a yes from the potential employee and the onboarding process had started.  I was in such shock I just said, “Yes we have someone but please keep praying she will actually start.” 

Wow, what little faith I had. 

God gave me the employee instantly, but I was still looking to see where the employee was.  Good thing He is patient with me.  I was so used to the struggles that having an instant answer was honestly outside of my realm of possibilities. 

I needed this moment for God to show me, He is Bigger than my requests.  I needed this moment for God to show me He HEARS Me.  I guess I have been feeling a bit unheard with my prayers in late.  Not that I gave up, but gave in to No and Wait…  I had decided that hearing a quick Yes was not in the cards for me.  He quietly corrected me.  I am so grateful for this…  I am so grateful that I only need faith the size of a mustard seed – because sometimes that is all I have.

The next quick answer from God was a small thing in the grand scheme of life, but important to me and He knew.  We renewed our vows last month and the weather was not scheduled to cooperate.  We do live in an area where planning outdoor events can be like playing the lottery with the weather.  All week long it stormed and had no plans on letting up. 

I prayed and asked God to shut the skies from the storms so we could have a beautiful day.  We wanted to bless those who were coming with a few surprises that would be meaningful outside instead of huddled under a tent.  After praying I just knew He heard me, and it would happen.  I had a peace that was beyond understanding.  Everyone mentioned the weather all week long and was worried the event would be rained out.  I just kept His promise close to my heart and said if it does, we will be okay.  Either way.

That day it poured buckets of rain all morning.  Then suddenly it stopped, and the sun came out unexpectedly.   The ground dried out and the temperature was perfect.  It was like God blessed the moment and said, “Yes.”  Another quick Yes from God.  

It wasn’t the most important prayer request.  But it was important to me, and He knew.  A small mustard seed of faith…

Once again – God answers prayers in 3 ways – Yes, No, or not yet (wait)…

And Today I am sharing – He Hears You Too.  Never stop praying.  All it takes is the faith of the smallest seed. 

 

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

Luke 17:6 NIV

 

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.  

Acts 12:5

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”  

Acts 12:6-11

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Acts 12:12-17

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