God Answers Prayer

God answers prayer. Just not always in ways we expect.

When I shared my worries with God He did not take my worries away. Instead He led me to the text in Isaiah; "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth in Thee." (Is 26:3)

When I prayed and asked God to help me deal with someone who frustrated and annoyed me God did not change that person. Instead he reminded me softly that; "The fruit of the Spirit is.... gentleness.." (Gal 5:22)

When I struggled with life here on earth God said; "Set you affections (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth." (Col 3:2)

When I was afraid, God said; "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Tim 1:7) He also said; "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear." (1 John 4:18) I memorized these verses and when I began to feel afraid again I repeated them and the fear went away.

When I prayed and asked God to help me be a better wife and mother God did not point out my faults but simply said; "Love suffers long and is kind." (1 Cor 13) I tried it and soon realized that my biggest problems were selfishness and impatience. When you are long suffering and kind there is no room for either.

When I struggled with an issue regarding the future God said; "Blessed are the meek." (Matt 5:5) I wasn't sure exactly what it meant to be meek so I looked it up. To be meek means accepting God's dealing with us as good, without resistance. In order to be meek I had to put our future back where it belonged, in God's hands.

Looking back I realized that God answered all my prayers, just not in ways I had expected. In none of these instances did God change my circumstances, instead He did something much greater - He changed my heart.