Answered Prayer, Faith and the Ability to Endure
Answered prayer can be looked upon as a journey most of the time. Although we serve a sovereign God who holds the right to answer our prayers immediately, most of the time answered prayer manifests in our lives over time.
Analogies of faith as related to prayer surround us daily. The Lord gave me one just this week that has strengthened me in the area of patience as related to answered prayer….
Answered Prayer Begins Immediately
Imagine if I placed a cup of 76 degree water outside on a day when the temperature outside was sub freezing. As soon as I placed the water outside the temperature of the 76 degree water would begin to drop. 75, 74, 73, 72 etc. On face value, the water looks the same. It doesn’t look like anything at all is happening. 69, 68, 67….. still no noticeable change is taking place. 36, 35, 34, 33….still no obvious changes have been noted.
[pullquote]As soon as we pray, God hears our prayer (1 John 5:14–15). And although we serve a God of the miraculous, most of the time we see the results of our prayers over time as opposed to instantly.[/pullquote]
But eventually…if left alone long enough the water in that cup will reach 32 degrees. It’s at this point we see the first signs of what began as soon as I placed the water outside. We see a thin film of ice form on top of the water. And if left even longer, that cup of water will become a solid cup of ice.
The same thing happens when we pray. The problem is, most of us give up, cave in and quit if we don’t see anything happening regarding our prayers in what we deem to be a reasonable period of time.
As soon as we pray, God hears our prayer (1 John 5:14–15). And although we serve a God of the miraculous, most of the time we see the results of our prayers over time as opposed to instantly.
Let’s Welcome Faith Onto the Stage….
This is where faith comes into play. It’s up to us to keep our faith on the line, knowing that the answer/manifestation of answered prayer is happening behind the scenes. It’s not important that you see anything going on. Who cares if you can see anything anyway. We have His Word that He heard us. Our job is to know that the water is getting colder with each and every day.
And then one day you’ll look up and you’ll see that thin sliver of ice forming on the top of your prayer. This is the first opportunity that you’re able to see what was taking place behind the scenes in your prayer life all along.
I started out by saying that this analogy has gone a long way toward helping me to exercise patience where my journey to answered prayer is concerned. What I meant was in the illustration above, can you imagine your prayer water temperature at 37, 36, 35, 34, or 33 degrees and giving up and quitting because we don’t see anything happening? What a tragedy. I wonder how many of us have pulled the plug on our prayer thinking that God didn’t hear us when we were right on the verge of seeing results.
Now, given the analogy above, paranoia won’t allow me to give up on my prayer. I can’t afford to. The insidious thing about prayer is that we can’t see or know just how far we are away from seeing results. Neither can we see or know just how close we are.
Your Water Is Getting Colder Every Day
Many have been on the road to answered prayer for a long time. Many have grown tired of the struggle. I’d like to encourage you not the give up. I know it’s hard. But if it was easy everybody would be doing it. You are strong. You are mighty. Having the Spirit of God residing on the inside of you, you were born to win in life. Don’t allow the enemy to rob you of your testimony of victory.
Make up your mind to stand strong and don’t even consider giving up an option. Know in your heart that the water is getting colder with each and every day. Soon….maybe even today, you’ll look up and see your thin sliver of ice forming over the top of your situation.