WHAT GOOD IS PRAYER?
By Lillian Rhoades
Most likely, you’ve said it. “I’ll be praying” has become a common response when hearing about the misfortune of others. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the American Pastor who remains imprisoned in Iran, and friends who recently passed away despite the prayers of family and friends. What good was prayer for them? Was the time and effort worth the results?
It didn’t take long for the God of indisputable love to respond to my questions. At His prompting, I turned to Philippian’s 4:6 (NLV): “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience His peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” He continued to speak through my thoughts:
Nowhere in that verse is there a promise for the kind of answer you seek. There is instead an admonition to pray and remember with thanks all I have done. I do not want you to focus on your request or the hoped-for answer because I offer much more than an answer. I offer peace. Not just ordinary peace –the kind that accompanies a sigh of relief at the words,” the cancer is gone,” or “the missionary has been released from years of captivity.” No, not that kind of peace. It’s the hard to understand peace when the cancer has not gone away, and the missionary remains imprisoned; but the heart and mind are at rest.
The value of prayer is not connected to a desired result. I want you to pray in obedience to my Word. Sometimes I will say, yes, other times, no; but I will always offer Peace.
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