God answers prayers. He always answers with yes, no, or not now. Too often we think that because God doesn’t give us what we want when we want it that He doesn’t answer our prayers. That’s just wrong. He gives us what we need when we need it, what He wants us to have when He wants us to have it… when it’s best for us. God answers prayers, in His time, not ours.
And all too often when God answers prayers, we often assume that He answered the prayers because we prayed to Him about whatever it is He answered. Does it not occur to us that God answered our prayers because someone else prayed for us? Does it not occur to us that God blessed us because someone else went to Him for us, asking Him to bless us? And more so, does it not occur to us that the person we are forgetting and leaving behind might just be the one that never stopped praying for us?
Sometimes God blesses us with all that we have wanted, all that we have waited for, and that’s a wonderful thing. But when we leave behind the one that prayed for all of those blessings to come true for us, where is God in that? Where is that glorifying God?
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first man prayed for food. - The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. - The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. - In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”
The first man answered, “My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them. His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.”
“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.”
“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”
“He prayed that all your prayers be answered.”
There is a word for it… selfishness. And it takes away from the wonderful blessing God gave…
That pretty much says it all.
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