God answers prayers in his own way

What happens when we ask for God’s help?

Arabic

Psalm 34:17 tells us.

It says: ‘The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them. He delivers them from all their troubles.’

So, God hears us, and then he delivers us. What from?

In Hebrew, ‘troubles’ means: adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation or anguish. So, that covers most of life’s difficult challenges.

And once we have prayed, we must allow God to answer in his own time.

The truth is that he started answering the moment you prayed. And he governs the process.

His ways aren’t ours, so we might not recognise his answers.

Sometimes, situations get worse before they get better. Jairus’ daughter was ill – and then she died after he asked for Jesus’ help. But Jesus had the final say.

Sometimes God will show us things that we must do as part of the answer.

Or he may set us a test like Jesus did with Philip when he told him to feed the 5000. Philip did not do well with that test, but he learned from it - a few years later he was leading a revival in Samaria.

So, when we pray, we must ask God to open our eyes so we can understand the way he answers.

Cleland Thom

Cleland helps to lead Freedom Church, a praying community in the United Kingdom.