“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11
“If God Really Hears Me, Why Does It Feel Like He Does Not?”
Have you been praying for something? Although it might sometimes feel like God does not hear your prayer, Scripture and experience help us know that God loves to answer “yes” to the requests of His children. Sometimes His answers are not what we expect, but He promises to supply the needs of His beloved children.
God Might Answer “Yes”
The Lord wants us to seek Him. He promised, “Call to me and I will answer” (Jeremiah 33:3). The Bible instructs us to “pray in the Spirit at all times” (Ephesians 6:18). When you believe in Jesus, you become an adopted child of God. Jesus, the Son of God, told His followers to “ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request because you use My Name” (John 16:23). God loves you as one of His children! Maybe He is ready to answer “yes” to your prayer.
Powerful Prayer
When we pray, we must remember that “it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus spoke of this faith when He said, “you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). But He also warned, “when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:25).
Walk in His Ways
God answers prayers, not just because His beloved children ask; God answers prayers because He knows what is best for us, and He responds to requests that honor Him, in ways that bring Him the most glory. Jesus said that “whatever you ask the Father in My Name, He may give it to you” (John 15:16), so we can do good works for the Lord. We “receive from Him whatever we ask because we obey Him” (I John 3:22).
(By Hope on May 21, 2014 < http://www.godlife.com/hope/prayer-letter/when-god-wants-to-answer-your-prayer; From the series Prayer Letter)
