by Pastor Elder McCants
“When the Time is Right, God Answers Prayer”
(A reprint from Christian News, date of publican unknown)
“I have prayed and prayed, pastor,” does God answer prayer? Yes, in His own time. Jesus’ mother came to him at the wedding of Cana. She wanted Jesus to help since the hosts had run out of wine. Jesus answered to his mother, “My time has not yet come” (John 2:4). Jesus did help, but only in His timing, which was the right time. Jesus did not give the Syrophoenician woman an answer to her prayer, It seemed like He was ignoring her pleas at first, but He did help her when the time was right (Mark 7:24-30). God did not immediately give Job relief rom his misery. In His timing, He healed Job.
When we ask God to take away a problem, he can help us in one of three ways. He can take away the problem. He can allow the problem to remain and give us strength to bear the problem as he did with Paul with the thorn in the flesh in 2 Cor 12:9. The Lord can also take us away from the problem by taking us to Heaven to be with Him.
As we continue to live by the gift of faith in Jesus’ perfect life, death, and resurrection, we pray and bring our requests to god through Jesus, who, through His death and resurrection has opened the way to His Heavenly father for us. God hears and answers our prayers in the way that is best for us.
PRAYER: Lord, hear and answer our prayers in Your timing. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.