READ
REFLECT
Prayer is one of the most powerful forces for good in the world. When we pray, we draw closer to Jesus and invite the heavens to work miracles in our lives. Of course, God answers prayers on his time, not ours.
We’ve all had times when we prayed and didn’t feel heard. We might even have felt our prayer hit our bedroom ceiling instead of heaven. But just because we didn’t get an answer doesn’t mean God didn’t listen to us. Or maybe the answer we received wasn’t the one we wanted.
But if we took a second to reflect and really listen to what God is telling us, we would realize it was the answer we needed. Paul told the Philippians “do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
We also know that God hears the “prayers of the righteous.” So if we don’t feel like He is hearing us, we may need to make some adjustments in our lives that align closer to His principles/values.
Jesus also asks us to give thanks our prayers. Why is that important? Because He gave us everything we have and the least we can do is appreciate those things.
And sometimes we may not feel like we want to pray because nothing will change. It is in those times that we should pray the most.
RESPOND
1. Think about a time you didn’t get the answer you wanted to a prayer. What did you feel?
2. The next time you pray, tell God that you are grateful that he is listening to your prayers.
3. Find another Scripture where Paul talks about prayer and commit it to memory.
