If you are right with God and God delays the answer to your prayer, don't misjudge Him.

What about if you're not right with him?  What happens then?

Or it could be Bob has a lot of common sense and loves you very much.

But then, yes God could have given that to Bob as well.  It is an interesting philosophical question.

What about if you're not right with him? What happens then?

Well scripture says that he does not hear the cries of the ungodly. Many cry out to him yet he will not listen. Unanswered prayer, even that of a Godly man is due to lack of faith or emptiness of the prayer. Job 35:9-16, James 4:3.

If you are not right with Him, then you need to get right with him. Only then will he hear and restore. First step he wants is repentance. Only then will fellowship be restored.

"Repent then and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Acts 3:19

"This is what the Sovereign Lord the Holy One says, "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." Isa 30:15.

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret,but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Cor 7:10.

after we do this, He promises us rest.....and it's a real peace that surpasses all understanding.

"The Lord replied, 'My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest." Ex 33:14

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Ps 91:1

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I willnever be shaken." Ps 62:1-2.

I especially like the restoration that comes after we screw up....of course being genuinely sorrowful for what we've done because ultimately if we are His our screw ups hurt Him just like our kids screw ups hurt us parents as well.

"Forget the former things do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isa 43:18-19.

Hope this helps.

Or it could be Bob has a lot of common sense and loves you very much.

yes this is true....He's the most logical person I've ever met. It's all that CPA and admin background.

but I'm going with it was God who sent him at the exact time for me. Not too early, and not too late. God is always on time.

If I faced the same situation, with the same result, but never prayed about it, what then? Do you think Bob might have done the same if you had not prayed?

Many things, good and bad, have happened in my lifetime. I do not see any of them as being due to prayer, or lack thereof. My mother heartily disagrees. Who is right? I can answer for you, my mom, but that is the only answer you can honestly give, for you honestly believe it.

So we need to push past the roadblocks and hindrances of life and keep on praying. We should not let discouragement stop us and pray even though we may not feel like it. Our next prayer could change our life.

Too right KFC. I think the best prayer is sometimes, "Thy will be done", because we don’t always know what’s good for us. God might have a big hearty challenge in store for us, which He knows will promote inner strength and develop more wisdom and spiritual muscle within us. But in the midst of this challenge, from our human perspective it might seem terrifying, and we might say a prayer to God asking Him to take it away, or asking Him to guide us away from the so-called ‘problem’.

However, God, in His wisdom, would not answer that prayer, for good reason. He would allow us to walk the path, knowing that a higher good will arise because of the challenge rather than in spite of it. God would prefer us to pray something like, “I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.” (Philippians 4.13), or “May Thy will be done”.

While we can see only the next corner of the road, or the next fork in the path, God sees the whole way ahead. At the end of the day, God is bigger than any obstacle we could face, and He would not allow us to experience a situation He knows we can’t handle.

I have tons of stories of answered prayer like this, not only personally but also some amazing answered prayers of others

It's true that for every prayer success story, another person will be able to tell of a failure. But as you say, "later we see the wisdom". I'm sure that many times this wisdom is only fully appreciated and understood when our number is up, in the Spirit world, where we will see clearly the reason for everything.

Way to go Andy. I can really rebut anything you said. That's something huh? God hears the cries of His own. He will answer but in his timing. Most of the time tho I do see answers like the one I wrote of here. I've got another great story but it was a six month answer that I'll write on soon. I recently wrote a bit about Abby and her accident. She did not receive the infection that was expected. The doctors gave an 85% chance and she did not get one. I attribute that to the prayers of many that were praying on her behalf. I like this:

You O God, do see trouble and grief
you consider it to take it in hand
The victim commits himself to you
you are the helper of the fatherless. Ps 10:14

I do not see any of them as being due to prayer, or lack thereof. My mother heartily disagrees. Who is right?

Don't you know Curious Gee? Moms are always right. Listen to your MOM.....

Remember the rain falls on the just and the unjust.

However, God, in His wisdom, would not answer that prayer, for good reason. He would allow us to walk the path, knowing that a higher good will arise because of the challenge rather than in spite of it. God would prefer us to pray something like, “I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.” (Philippians 4.13), or “May Thy will be done”.

Well said Andy.

KFC I don't agree with you that God doesn't hear the cry of the ungodly. He hears everyone. If he didn't, then no one would come to him.

I do agree with you that praying is undervalued (and underated).

"So we need to push past the roadblocks and hindrances of life and keep on praying. We should not let discouragement stop us and pray even though we may not feel like it. Our next prayer could change our life. "

This is well said and would have been a better response to Dharma's question. (IMO)

Great article!

OFF TOPIC

I met your son and his wife today KFC...CHECK YOUR EMAIL

I met your son and his wife today KFC...CHECK YOUR EMAIL

ya, got it. Very cool. Now you know what I've been saying is true!! He's pretty cute huh? They make a cute couple don't they?

KFC I don't agree with you that God doesn't hear the cry of the ungodly. He hears everyone. If he didn't, then no one would come to him.

Well I can only go by what I read in his word. You're right no one would come to him. He says in Romans "There is none that understands, there is none that seek after God. 3:11.

But on the other. This is a smattering of what I mean,

There they cry, but none gives answer because of the pride of evil men. Surely God will not hear vanity neither will the Almighty regard it. Job 35:12-13

And when you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you; yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Isa 1:15.

They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore saith the Lord, Behold I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry to me I will not hearken unto them. Jeremaih 11:10-11.

Therefore will I also deal in fury; mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. Ezek 8:18.

You ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts. James 4:3

of course reading all in context you see that the ungodly do what they want, worshipping other idols, ignoring God and then when life becomes unbearable they cry out to God. He does not answer. He knows their hearts. They don't want him, they want relief.

I wonder if it's not like us with our own children. We hear the cries of other children that are not ours. We tune it out because they are not ours. A mother knows the cry of her own. She responds to that cry. I'm thinking it's the same with God. Jesus said, the sheep know my voice. They will not listen to another. We listen for the voice of God and will not be swayed by another.

They make a cute couple don't they?

Yup Yup. Any babies from that union are gonna be smokin!

Well scripture says that he does not hear the cries of the ungodly. Many cry out to him yet he will not listen. Unanswered prayer, even that of a Godly man is due to lack of faith or emptiness of the prayer. Job 35:9-16, James 4:3.

Hmm, James 1:5 must be a typo. Thanks for pointing that out to me, KFC.

You see, James 1:5 doesn't distinguish between the saved and the unsaved, all it says isthat we should ask in faith. When I prayed to God using James 1:5 as my foundation, it was years before I came to Christ...yet a look back showed that God began answering my prayer shortly after I prayed it. Should I then assume that I am unsaved?

Furthermore, your response would indicate we really have no hope of salvation. If we are sinners saved by grace, then before we pray for that grace, we are unsaved, and thus, unrighteous. Because we are unrighteous, God won't hear our prayer, and so we need someone "righteous" to intercede for us, right? Again, using your logic, I am unsaved.

Yet I know better.

Furthermore, your response would indicate we really have no hope of salvation. If we are sinners saved by grace, then before we pray for that grace, we are unsaved, and thus, unrighteous. Because we are unrighteous, God won't hear our prayer, and so we need someone "righteous" to intercede for us, right? Again, using your logic, I am unsaved.

No, I don't think you would be praying to God for this at all without his touch and he is the one doing the heart surgery to begin with. We would have no desire to. Our natural inclination is not to turn to God but to turn away from him. God chooses us. We don't choose Him. I think you are probably looking at this from a free will viewpoint and I am seeing election.

Hmm, James 1:5 must be a typo. Thanks for pointing that out to me, KFC. You see, James 1:5 doesn't distinguish between the saved and the unsaved

Oh but it does.

If you notice by reading the first verse, this is written to Jewish Christians. Also look at 2:1 and 5:7. Salvation is assumed here. The wisdom asked for here is given to those who are His.

In 1:5 asking for wisdom is a good thing. But in 4:3 he's saying even a Godly man will not get his prayers answered if he's asking for the things of the flesh. Asking for wisdom is not in that category.