Daily Devotion 9: God Does Answer Prayer

Do you believe that God answers prayer? It is easy to answer “yes” to that question when you have prayed for something and He granted it. Maybe you were praying for a sick friend and God healed them over time. Or possibly you were praying for a friend that was having a hard time, and now they are no longer struggling like they used to. If that is the case, you likely answered “yes” to the question. It is much more difficult for us, especially in our American culture, when the answer to our prayer is “no” or “wait.”

On Day #2 of our devotion time together, Miriam and I met to talk about a woman who pursued Jesus. All that she desired was to be close enough to touch the cloak of Jesus because she needed healing from her condition of bleeding. She had been living with this condition for 12 years! The amazing thing about this is that she only needed ONE touch from Jesus to be healed. Only one and she was INSTANTLY healed. Or how about the Centurion on Day #6 who asked Jesus for healing for his servant. When Jesus said the word for healing, it was done! The servant was healed...and it did not even require Jesus going to his house. All Jesus had to do was to say the word and the servant was immediately healed.

Our American culture is unique in so many ways. I notice it especially when I return home from our work in Swaziland, Africa. Americans are in such a hurry...we are so efficient with our time. It is likely something you do not even think about anymore. If I were to tell a child in a rural village in Swaziland that you & your family, on your way home from soccer practice, roll your car up to a speaker, shout out to the speaker what food you would like to eat, move forward to the window...and they will hand you your order within 3-4 minutes to eat in the car, the child would think I was crazy! They would ask me questions like “Why would you want to eat in the car?” or “Why would you not go inside to sit, eat & talk with each other?” It is all part of our INSTANT culture. How about the things we order through Amazon online? We click an image and within a day we have these things arrive on our doorstep! We are super efficient in America, but sometimes we lack “TIME” for each other, and the determination in prayer that we are going to study today.

In Mark 7:24, the scene begins to unfold for a Greek woman who has a challenge with her daughter and desperately needs Jesus to heal her. But she has some problems to overcome. She is not a Jew, and Jesus' ministry was focused on the people of Israel. It would be sometime before others got to know and hear about the Good News of salvation for all people through faith in Jesus. But she kept asking Him. She kept talking to Him. You see, we usually like when God hears our prayer and answers them right away. Instant action by God! Yes! But when we don't hear from God or see the change we have been praying for, we get discouraged and maybe even stop asking & praying for these things. Friends this cannot be. We must ask God over and over, because quite possibly His answer to us is “WAIT.”

Waiting is difficult! But remember that waiting is a very important thing for us for many reasons. Often we turn our prayer life to God into something unhealthy. We think Jesus is our magic genie that we can call on for INSTANT action. Although we can call on Jesus anytime and for any reason, what really needs to grow is our heart for HIS will to be done in HIS timing. Don't forget that God knows our needs, and He is the best One to determine the timing of our prayer request. So don't be discouraged, ask Him again and again and again...like the Greek woman. Your faith might just grow stronger and stronger as you spend more TIME talking with Jesus.

Make today great! Coach Matt