I think we all want answers to our prayers. I know I do. When we have patience and trust in God's answers, then we see God at work in our lives.
Prayer is a way of communicating with God. It's our hotline, so to speak to Him. God showed me how important prayer is through my Dad's passing. It was as if He saw me through every step I took. We need to pay attention to God's signs He gives us. It's incredible to see God work in our lives.
When I was in Florida after my Dad's passing, there were many details to tend to, as usual, before a funeral. I completely forgot about the prayer I made on Friday night for Mom to come home with me. Saturday went by with a blur. I continued to read the Bible at night, looking for inspiration and scripture to guide me. I would read scriptures such as John 15:7 (NIV), If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Isn't that wonderful to know God's with us and He's willing to give us whatever we want? As long as we have God in our lives and keep our hearts open to Him, our prayers will be answered, but remember, our prayers are not always answered the way we expect them to be.
It says in Mark 11:24 (NIV); therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. We sometimes forget to believe and trust that God has our best interests in mind. Even when things don't work out like we expect them to, that's OK because God has a bigger and better plan for us in the long run. God's plan is so much better than we could ever imagine. We have to be patient and let him work things out for us.
Finally, Sunday night came, and my Aunt (my Mom's sister) called and chatted with Mom for a bit. Then Mom said to me, "She wants to talk to you." I knew what was coming. I could hear Mom telling her how she's staying in Florida for a year, and then she'll decide where she'll go after that. My Aunt and I had the same fears. She, of course, asked me a lot of questions, which I carefully answered with Mom sitting right next to me. She asked me if I thought this was a wise decision for Mom to stay by herself? "I said so casually, "I'll be here every two weeks, so I'll be around if she needs me." I have no idea why I said that. It popped into my head a few days before, but I shrugged it off. The next thing I knew, it was bouncing out of my mouth. What? I have excellent peripheral vision. My mother's mouth dropped wide open. She had no idea that it was even a thought in my mind. The funny thing is, when I got off the phone, we never spoke about the conversation at all. She never questioned me on it or even mentioned my Aunt again. We chatted like usual and went to bed. I could have gotten very freaked out about the whole thing, but God works all things for our good. I just gave it all to Him and went to bed. (The conclusion on Day 4)
Let's pray,
Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for giving us the strength and wisdom we need when we do not think we can go on. Thank you for hearing our prayers and helping us through challenging situations. When our hearts are open, we put our trust and belief in you, Lord. That's when we see you come into our lives and change them for the better. Thank you, Lord, for your wisdom, compassion, and most of all for your love. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray. Amen.
