Prayer
is not just about the answer; it’s also about glorifying God in the process of
waiting for the answer.
I
believe it was Tom Petty who said: “The waiting is the hardest part”
and this is most diffidently true when it comes to prayer. We live in a culture
(America) that loves to see completion. We set measurable goals and work hard to
achieve them. This is also true in the
church. (See my article 5 Measures of a Healthy
Church) But how does one measure the effectiveness
of prayer in one’s personal life?
One
of the reasons I think that prayer is difficult to measure is because it is
a process not a task. In 1 Kings
18, Elijah prayed 7 times before God answered his prayer. For him, prayer was about trusting God in
midst of waiting.
Like
a good Father, the Lord longs to be involved with those who call on His
name. At times, He may let us wrestle
and wait just so He can enjoy our presence.
This time of waiting for us can be comforting if we learn to enjoy His
presence as we wait. Prayer is not
always about the answer. Many
times, the most valuable part of prayer is the process that God takes us
through as we wait for an answer.
What prayers are you waiting for God to answer? While you wait, enjoy His presence and thank
Him for the process that is at work in you.
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