| If you are like some people, you have probably asked this question several times. For some of us, it seems as if God is asleep on the job, so to speak, because the realities of our circumstances seem to shout at us ever so loudly. We are tested on every side; in our relationships, health, jobs, and finances, to name a few, and somewhere in the back of our minds is a nagging doubt as to whether God is paying attention or not. Can He do anything, and if so, why doesn’t He?
We could ask the same question as we look at the chaos that continues to take place in various parts of the world. Following the national and international news is potentially depressing. No longer are we talking about rumors of war, we have more wars going on than most of us realize. Earthquakes, tsunamis, famines, droughts, religious persecution, and so much more are the order of the day. Where is God? Didn’t He promise, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV)? If the world was a corporation of which God was the CEO, the board of that corporation would probably consider replacing Him for failing to deliver what He promised.
The Bible is the only resource we have that speaks of God’s ability and integrity. It is His Word and we are told that He cannot lie. In Numbers 23:19 we read, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” Those are serious questions we need to ponder. Whatever God said, He will do, and whatever He has spoken, He shall make good. That’s about as solid an assurance of God’s ability and integrity as one could get. The interesting thing is that Jesus prayed; therefore, there must have been no doubt in His mind that prayers, including yours and mine, prayed in the will of God, do make a difference.
We can rest assured that God is not indifferent to the things that are important to us (1 Peter 5:7). Christian author Max Lucado was right when he said, “Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” Persistent prayer works and though the answers we seek may not be immediately realized, it does not mean that God is not working on our behalf. Don’t give in to discouragement. He is faithful to those who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations (Deut. 7:9). PUSH through. Keep on Praying Until Something Happens. |
