Faith to Trust God's Answer to Prayer

Dear Fellow Children of God,

This week I received an e-mail about someone who was confirmed with me in 1967 in Gainesville, Florida.  The e-mail was from family asking for prayer for this lady I knew as a young girl.  I prayed for her, but I have since received news that she passed away.

On the other hand we have recently prayed in our congregation for people who were not responding to medical care.  But after our prayers their condition improved.  Even the doctors were surprised.  God got credit for improvement and healing in more than one recent situation after our prayers.

So, do you ever wonder why it seems that God answers some prayers but not others?  This doesn’t just happen in the lives of those around us, it happens in our lives too.  In fact, even Jesus faced a similar situation.  In Lenten worship this week we read from Mark 14 about Jesus praying.  “35. . . he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.  36 ‘Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’”  We know the cup of suffering and death did not pass from Jesus.  So, did God the Father ignore the prayer of God the Son?

God hears all prayers and answers them.  He did not answer the prayer of Jesus the way that He prayed at the beginning of His prayer.  He did answer the end of Jesus’ prayer, “not what I will, but what you will.”  Actually, God’s answer to Jesus prayer accomplished God’s will.  It accomplished our forgiveness.  God’s answer gives heaven to all who believe in Jesus.  So God did answer Jesus’ prayer, even though His suffering and death was not taken away.

Some might disagree with me.  When our life doesn’t work out the way we ask in prayer, how can we say God is answering?  It takes faith to see God answering a prayer when things don’t go as we wish.  But, faith trusts that God is wiser than we are.  Faith trusts that God is stronger than our problems.  Faith also trusts that “in all things God works good for those who love Him.”  Faith trusts that even in our troubles God is working for the greater good He sees.

I am thankful for the account of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.  God’s answer to Jesus’ prayer overcame our greatest problems of sin and death.  I like what Father Tim said in the Mitford books when he talked about “the prayer that never fails -  not what I will, but what you will.”   God’s will always shows wisdom and love.  Because of God’s wisdom and love I can trust God’s answer, even when it seems different than my prayers.

A Child of God, trusting God in good and bad,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S.  Last Sunday Jamie, and Carolyn Dwight, and some other adults and I took our confirmation students to Victory Bible Camp for the yearly confirmation retreat.  Here are some pictures. https://picasaweb.google.com/jonrock53/ConfirmationRetreat2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am always adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message. . . Or, if you know someone who would like to receive one of these e-mails, please send me their e-mail address.

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