God Is a Prayer Answerer

When I was teaching 8th grade, I divided my class into groups to work on a project. That year, I had a class that wasn't . . . shall we say . . . as agreeable as some classes I've had. For the project they were beginning, I tried to divide the groups by talents/skills that the students said they had. My goal was to have a researcher, writer, artist, etc in each group. (a heterogeneous group as we teachers say)

One of my students refused to work with her group. She felt like the others would not do their parts. She had a reason to be concerned. She wasn't at the top of the class herself, but she wanted to work with those who would try to create a good project.

I understood how she felt, but I did not want to change the groups and open that can of worms. I felt that she could work with them and do the best she could. There's no way I would penalize her for what her group wouldn't do. My main concern was that I could not have rebellion in my class.

At the time, I was keeping a prayer journal. I wrote about what I prayed and when God answered. I prayed about this situation. I asked for wisdom. I prayed that God would work it out. I had to be careful how I prayed. I couldn't ask God to make her think like I thought. That's not cool. That would be controlling. God gives us a will and He gives us choices. I couldn't try to take her choice away with my prayer; still I needed peace in my classroom. God would have to do this because I certainly could not.

Within a few days, my student came to me and said she would work with her group. I thanked her; I thanked God more.

For some reason as I thought about God answering prayer, this incident came to mind. It may not seem like a big deal to some, but it was important to me.

God wants to answer us.

¹ Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;
   to you our vows will be fulfilled.
² O you who hear prayer,
   to you all men will come.

⁵ You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
   O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
   and of the farthest seas, Psalm 65:1-2, 5 NIV

The Bible is full of examples of God answering the prayers of His people. He answers great and small requests. He is our hope from the ends of the earth and across the seas.

He gives us promises to stand on to know that He will answer. One such promise Jesus left is found in John 15:7 NKJV

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

He promises that if we do our part, He will do His. That sounds like an open invitation to me.

God is Great; God Is Good!

After the tornadoes that hit Alabama on April 27, life is finally back to somewhat normal where I live. Many people lost homes and properties. Even worse, some lost their lives. But God is faithful. Storms are a part of life; they occur naturally. But supernaturally, God protects those who call on Him.

For the last few days, I've had the privilege of helping people affected by the storms. I've seen the destroyed homes, but I've also seen the work of God's hand of protection. In the midst of broken tree limbs, downed power lines, and overturned trailer homes, I saw a mobile home with two tall trees standing beside and a yard that didn't even seem to have a fallen leaf in it. I was told that in that house lives an elderly couple. The husband is bedridden so they could not go to storm shelter built for their mobile home community. The couple prayed and asked God to protect them. He did! Wow! How great is our God?!

Across the four-lane highway was a community of fairly new brick homes. In one of the houses a woman and two teens huddled in the utility room and cried out to God. That room was the only thing left of the house. Some might call it coincidence. Maybe it is a coincidence that when godly people call on The Good Shepherd, He protects them. But I call it answered prayer.

I don't understand it all, but I understand that the scripture says:

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
      For His mercy endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV

Not only is He good, He is great beyond measure.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
   his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3 NIV

 I pray that through all of our storms, we endure and say like the psalmist:

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living. Psalm 27:13 NKJV