By Pat
I often hear the term "God answered my prayer," or thanks being given to God for answering their prayer. I've done it myself, as a matter of fact, and you probably have, too. When you pray for someone who is sick to get well, or a friend who is traveling to have a safe journey, you naturally give thanks when the sick person gets well and your traveling friend arrives to their destination safe and sound. That's easy, isn't it?
But what if the sick person you've been praying for dies? What if your traveling friend has an accident? Did God not answer your prayers? That's a hard one, a perplexing and problematic situation that has plagued many Christians through the ages. I've struggled with that issue many times, and I probably will again. But as I try to grow and mature in my walk with God, I have to remember that even if a prayer does not get answered the way I want it to, it's still answered, because God answers ALL of our prayers. Sometimes the answer is "no", but it's still an answer. God's answer.
No matter how difficult, I am trying to remember that God is in charge and He knows what He's doing and what his plans are. I have to adjust my prayers accordingly and instead of praying for what I want, pray for what God knows is best, completely trusting that God will answer, and that the answer will be the right one.