Answered Prayers

By: Jackie Warner

We must not forget that we are all limited! No matter how smart we think we are. We are extremely limited, but sometimes we have to be reminded — God is limitless. Let that part sink into our hearts and minds for a moment.

Have you ever prayed and prayed and then your prayer was answered?

Well, I prayed to God for a cake. In my mind it had icing and was beautifully decorated. My prayer was answered, and I got a cake…but it didn’t have any icing. I almost dropped it on the floor, but it landed right side up, crumbled all inside the pan. Thank you, God, for an answered blessing! Whatever your “cake” may be…family, job, health, mental, financial…keeping praying and when he answers, thank HIM!

Over the years, I have journaled my thoughts from time to time and written down my prayers. I have gone back to reflect on what prayers I have written down and some were answered soon or maybe months or even years later, but, yes, God answered my prayers…in his time and in his way.

When we pray and receive an answer from God that doesn’t align with our expectations, it means that God’s plan for us might be different than what we initially envisioned. This is often signifying that we need to trust in His greater wisdom and timing, even if the answer initially feels disappointing or downright unexpected.

The Bible verse Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us that God’s thoughts and plans are often beyond our understanding, and what seems like a “no” to us could be a much better outcome in the long run. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Remember my cake? Well God’s promise to be with us means that sometimes he will be with us through our struggles and difficulties and not always there to rescue us from the situation because the answer may be in the struggle or the difficult situation.

Realign your perspective: Sometimes, our prayers might be motivated by our own desires rather than God’s will, so it’s important to examine our motives and be open to receiving an answer that might require a shift in perspective

Trust in God’s goodness: Even when the answer isn’t what we hoped for, believe that God is still working for our good and has a purpose behind it. Keep the faith and hope in God’s plan for your life — while you may not have received the exact outcome you were hoping for in your prayer, God still answered it in a way that was ultimately best for you, through unexpected means, addressing a deeper need for your life journey to HIM.