“All glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20
“Why is God taking so long to answer?”
Have you been praying hard for God
to work in your life? Scripture tells us that God hears our prayers; yet we
might wait years for His answers. Eventually, though, His response can be
greater than anything we can expect.
God Might Say “Yes; Here Is More”
God
promised His people, “I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good
and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). Many people don’t realize that God’s plan for Israel
involved 70 long years of suffering under Babylonian exile. It was a good plan,
but it was far from instant success. So we must trust Him, even when relief or
fulfillment seem to take forever.
The Example of Job
When
we meet Job in the Bible, he has it all: wealth, family, friends, and trust in
God. But in the blink of an eye, his riches were plundered and his family wiped
out. Terrible physical suffering soon followed. But his trust in God remained;
he declared, “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it
away. Praise the Name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21). Nearly forty chapters later, after hearing from God
directly, Job humbled himself before God, and prayed for his friends. Only
then, “the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him
twice as much as before!” (Job 42:10). Again we see God responding and blessing in a great way,
but only in His time.
The Forgiveness of the Messiah
As
He was being crucified, Jesus prayed, “Father,
forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). What amazing love our Lord displayed! And the Father
showed His “yes” response, offering forgiveness to the Jews who demanded His
execution, as well as the Romans who carried out the deed. That plan of
unimaginable forgiveness extends to all people: “this is God’s
plan: [all] who believe the Good News share equally in [God’s] riches. [They]
enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:6).
Will
you pray this week:
• To praise God that He can do more than we could ever ask or imagine
• That God will work His plan in your life
• To thank God for biblical examples of faith and prayer
• That you will have peace with the life God has given you
• To thank God for His forgiveness and His plan
• To praise God that He can do more than we could ever ask or imagine
• That God will work His plan in your life
• To thank God for biblical examples of faith and prayer
• That you will have peace with the life God has given you
• To thank God for His forgiveness and His plan
(http://www.godlife.com/hope/prayer-letter/an-answer-to-prayer-beyond-imagination)
