Post by forgiven on Mar 9, 2005 5:02:11 GMT -5
Title: The God Who Answers
Author: Woodrow Kroll
1 Kings 18:24
"Then you call on the name of your gods, and I
will call on the name of the Lord; and the God
who answers by fire, He is God." So all the
people answered and said, "It is well spoken."
The God Who Answers
A magazine cartoon showed a little fellow
kneeling beside his bed for his bedtime prayers.
He was saying with some measure of disgust,
"Uncle Jim still doesn't have a job; Sis still
doesn't have a date for the prom; Grandma is
still feeling poorly—and I'm tired of praying for
this family and not getting results." Admittedly,
it would be discouraging to think that God
doesn't answer our prayers.
But Elijah had no such doubts. If God is truly
God, He will answer. And his confidence was well
rewarded. Not only did God answer, but He
answered in such a dramatic way that the people
could no longer question who was really God. Even
the things that don't normally burn, the stones
and the dust, were consumed when God answered by
fire (v. 38). In an unmistakable way, the Lord
responded to Elijah's prayer.
The distinguishing mark of the Christian faith is
that we have a living God who not only hears but
answers our prayers. His ear and His heart are
both attuned to our cry. His answers may not come
at the time we want them, but they will come at
the time when they will do the most good. He does
not always answer in the way we expect, but He
will always answer in the way that's best for us.
It's not always easy to trust God for the right
answer at the right time, but it's always best.
Our confident assurance is that if we ask
according to His will, "we know that we have the
petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John
5:15).
Do not grow weary in your prayers. Seek to know
God's will and then confidently pray for His
response. The God who hears will also answer—at
the right time and in the right way.
The prayer is up to us; the answer is up to God.
Author: Woodrow Kroll
1 Kings 18:24
"Then you call on the name of your gods, and I
will call on the name of the Lord; and the God
who answers by fire, He is God." So all the
people answered and said, "It is well spoken."
The God Who Answers
A magazine cartoon showed a little fellow
kneeling beside his bed for his bedtime prayers.
He was saying with some measure of disgust,
"Uncle Jim still doesn't have a job; Sis still
doesn't have a date for the prom; Grandma is
still feeling poorly—and I'm tired of praying for
this family and not getting results." Admittedly,
it would be discouraging to think that God
doesn't answer our prayers.
But Elijah had no such doubts. If God is truly
God, He will answer. And his confidence was well
rewarded. Not only did God answer, but He
answered in such a dramatic way that the people
could no longer question who was really God. Even
the things that don't normally burn, the stones
and the dust, were consumed when God answered by
fire (v. 38). In an unmistakable way, the Lord
responded to Elijah's prayer.
The distinguishing mark of the Christian faith is
that we have a living God who not only hears but
answers our prayers. His ear and His heart are
both attuned to our cry. His answers may not come
at the time we want them, but they will come at
the time when they will do the most good. He does
not always answer in the way we expect, but He
will always answer in the way that's best for us.
It's not always easy to trust God for the right
answer at the right time, but it's always best.
Our confident assurance is that if we ask
according to His will, "we know that we have the
petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John
5:15).
Do not grow weary in your prayers. Seek to know
God's will and then confidently pray for His
response. The God who hears will also answer—at
the right time and in the right way.
The prayer is up to us; the answer is up to God.