God is faithful.
My heart is moved to say these words, even as my prayers for the sale of our home in Beaumont have not been answered in the ways I have asked.
The scriptures (Matthew 7:9-10) instruct us to "ask in Jesus' name,"and those petitions will be granted. "Which of you, if his child asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?"
The Prayer Team at our church has been faithfully lifting up our petitions (as have my wife and I) over the past two months. We have asked -- at the Prayer Team's request -- to pray for specific things like bread and fish. We prayed for a certain percentage of our asking price and for the house to sell on a certain timeline. And now, we are past that timeline.
A part of me wants to say my prayers were ineffective and that the Scripture passage did not hold up to be true. But the Spirit reminds me of some good things this morning:
One. God is not my vending machine, who will give me stuff when I pop in a quarter or quote a passage of Scripture. God is God. God makes the decisions and answers prayers the ways he sees fit.
Two. God is not bound by my sense of chronos time. God does not wear a stopwatch or operate by the Gregorian calendar.
Three. God is aware of my needs and the needs of my family. God will not give us a stone or a snake when we have asked for bread and fish. God will provide for the sale of our home.
Four. Prayer is critical in this process. God is deepening our dependence upon him. God is bringing more and more people into the process of prayer for this specific request. God will be glorified as more and more people join in on this process.
Five. We don't have it so bad. There are other prayer needs in the world far more critical than ours. As I write this, I am sitting on the back porch of my father-in-law's home on a cool, 70-degree morning in Texas, drinking a bold cup of coffee and relaxing with the family on a day off. That does not mean my prayer need is not important to God, but I realize that God is already providing for my needs and the needs of my family.
These are just a few of my reflections on a prayer journey of mine.
Do I want the house to sell ASAP? You betcha.
Is our family feeling the pinch as we await its sale? Yes.
But still I say that God is faithful.
The bread is coming.
