Tuesday, December 5.
We are commanded to persevere in prayer, and Scripture assures us God will answer. And while it may at times seem as if He’s ignoring us, that is not the case. Our heavenly Father, who loves us perfectly and knows all things fully, will certainly provide what is best when we ask Him. Oftentimes, unanswered prayer is not about God’s unwillingness to respond but has to do with requests made with wrong motives or limited perspective. We should keep three things in mind:
First, we must make wise requests. When we ask according to God’s will, we have confidence that He’ll answer our requests (1 John 5:15-16). The purpose of prayer is not to manipulate God but to submit ourselves to His desires.
Second, we should examine our motives. When we request something for purely selfish reasons without regard to God’s desires, we should not expect Him to answer (James 4:3).
Third, we are to trust God’s perspective. Man sees glimpses only of the immediate future, but God can see everything at once. He’s not slow about answering our petitions, because His timing is perfect (2 Peter 3:8-9).
Never give up on prayer, but as you present your requests, ask the Lord to reveal if you’re hindering His answer in some way. Remember, prayer is about His will, not ours.
Memory Verse: James 4:3.
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Martin Luther