God's Affirmations

Good Day, everyone!

Just a little sharing with you about how God has been affirming for me the truth that He hears prayer.

First affirmation.

Last week my kids and I finished up a study of John 11 about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  Here's the summary in the book:

"Have you ever wondered if God heard your prayers or cared enough to answer because you didn't get an answer right away?  Well, Martha and Mary may have had similar thoughts and feelings when Jesus didn't come immediately.  But if God doesn't answer our prayers our way, when and how we want, we know it's because God has a better plan, a better way, or a better time.  We just need to keep praying and we will see God's awesome power and love."

Second affirmation.

And then in my devotional book by Chambers, there was this:

"When He had heard therefore that he [Lazarus] was sick, He abode two days in the same place where he was. ~John 16:6

"Has God trusted you with a silence--a silence that is big with meaning?  God's silences are His answers...His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into a marvelous understanding of Himself.  Are you mourning before God because you have not had an audible response?  You will find that God has trusted you in the most intimate way possible, with an absolute silence, not of despair, but of pleasure, because He saw that you could stand a bigger revelation.  If God has given you a silence, praise Him; He is bringing you into the great run of His purposes.  The manifestation of the answer in time is a matter of God's sovereignty.  Time is nothing to God.  For a while you said, 'I asked God to give me bread, and He gave me a stone.'  He did not, and today you find He gave you the Bread of Life.

"A wonderful thing about God's silence is that the contagion of His stillness gets into you and you become perfectly confident -- 'I know God has heard me.'  His silence is the proof that He has...If Jesus Christ is bringing you into the understanding that prayer is for the glorifying of His Father, He will give you the first sign of His intimacy--silence."

Third affirmation.

Then I popped in a CD my uncle made for me, and it included a lovely song about Jesus giving life to Lazarus.

My thoughts.

Mary and Martha wanted their brother healed, but Jesus waited because He had something bigger to reveal about His power:  He gives life to those who are dead.  What a revelation!  I know He hears; I just need to wait to see His power revealed in ways I can't even imagine.

Yes, Lord, I believe You hear and Your silence is Your answer.  Teach me to pray and wait with hope for that deeper revelation of TruthHimself.

Linda
Moderator
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TruthHimself/