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Does God Answer Your Prayers?

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Do you pray and feel like your prayers are never leaving the room? You pray and pray and nothing seems to change and it feels like God is ignoring you prayers? Will I have felt like this many times and it feels like God has deserted me. Then one day I started studying the book of Job in church Bible class, and a few months later I begin to understand what it truly meant to be a servant of the Lord. Today I know God hears my prayers and he answers my prayers.

Let’s first look at the story of Job. In a matter of hours tragedy struck Job’s family, his sheep, oxen, and camels. Job was covered with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Job remained faithful to God, but wanted to know why all this tragedy was happening to him. This is God’s reply. Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. (Job 38:1-3) After God finished speaking to Job, Job gives God his final answer. Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand things too wonderful for me to know. “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1-6)

God never told Job why he suffered, but told Job he cannot understand all the ways of God. Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. (Isaiah 40:28) We will never fully understand the thoughts and ways of God this side of eternity.

We are to reflect Christ in our walk by being a servant just a Christ came to serve. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) Now a servant does what his master tells him, and leaves the results to the master. Likewise we serve Christ through the Holy Spirit, doing what he tells us and leave the results to him.

God hears our prayer because we are his servant, and he will answer our prayer in his time and in his way, if we continue as his obedient servant. The Lord hears our prayer, but we cannot always understand his ways or his timing because we are creatures of limitations. Regardless of how God answers your prayer, continue walking in faith and remain his servant to the best of your ability until your last breath, then you will hear the Lord say, “welcome home my good a faithful servant.”

Continue your prayers, but while waiting for an answer, remain faithful by serving the Lord. Know that serving the Lord and reflecting Christ to others, pleases God more than we know. So if God is pleased with us and we reflect a thankful heart, in can only help our prayers. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

Prayer: Lord today I will pray and I will continue to serve you. I will trust you fully knowing you are God and I cannot fully understand all your ways, but I know you understand me, my heart, and my concerns. I know your answer to prayer is perfect, and whatever the answer is I will always continue to trust you and serve you through a heart of love. In Jesus name, Amen