Tag answered prayer

Table of Contents

• Backstory
  • What happened next.
• prayer support.
  • Constant prayer
  • Whose prayers were answered?
• All prayers are heard.
  • The Bible’s clear teachings about prayer
  • Relevant Scripture
• Grateful for each prayer
• Expectations met or left wanting.
• Have I made any conclusions?
• posts about prayer

Backstory

(This is a repost about prayer, but just in case you didn’t read it……)

Well, it’s been pretty hectic this week but prayer brought us through. The surgery last Monday went great. However, the surgeon found an aneurysm, which he may have had his entire life. But they didn’t do anything about that except to put a stent above it and open up the artery up to that point. So that is all good. Then, he had another stent inserted in another artery. Did I mention this was his second heart attack? The first was years ago.

I could spend the nights in his room, as the rooms in our hospital all have sofa beds for family. But, of course, there were so many interruptions that we certainly didn’t sleep well. We came home the day after his procedure. We thought all was well and breathed a sigh of relief. Alas, all was not well, as you will soon learn.

What happened next.

So, we went to bed that night exhausted, of course. At 5:00 am, my husband had a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop. We called the cardiologist’s on-call service and were told to return to the ER. We couldn’t believe we were heading back in less than twenty-four hours.

He ended up having to have a nose plug inserted. A smaller size at first. That didn’t work. So they had to add a larger plug. It is a very painful process. I thought my heart would break watching him suffer. My husband is one of the strongest people I know and has a very high pain tolerance. So watching him suffering, well, it was almost too much. But I kept it together.

prayer support.

In some ways, I didn’t. I was scared. But I could do it because of all the prayer support we’ve had. I am not afraid to reach out and ask for prayer. As I’m writing a book on this very subject, this experience also gives me some insight while raising many questions about prayer.

First of all, some background. People are praying for us who have not indicated that they have a growing relationship with Christ. Some are from very different denominations. One lights candles and believes she sees visions. Another person believes in “grounding” (walking around barefoot all day so she can connect with the earth and also grows marijuana on her deck). Some are what I would describe as mature Christians. I don’t have any idea about many of the people who are praying. All these people tell me they’re praying for us, and I believe they are. Remember, prayer is not only a Christian concept. All established religions practice prayer.

Constant prayer

Then there is me and my husband. We were praying throughout. I never stopped except when conversing with family, doctors, nurses, etc. And even then, I was constantly in communication with God. Mine were the “Help!” kind of prayers.

But I also prayed, “God, I believe you have many years left for my husband and me. If that sounds presumptuous, I don’t mean it to me. I just simply will not believe anything else. In faith believing, I come to you. I know other women have been in my shoes and have prayed for healing for their husbands as well. But this is my husband, and I refuse to let him go. I refuse to accept anything but a full recovery.”

Then there was the nosebleed incident. But I’m still praying this way because if those are the words coming to my lips, why wouldn’t I believe they are coming from the Holy Spirit, who gives us words when we don’t have any?

Whose prayers were answered?

So, here are some questions I have.

Whose prayers were heard? All of them? Some of them?

Haven’t you ever wondered? Maybe, you haven’t. And maybe I wouldn’t be, except I’m writing a book about prayer. The Bible states that teachers (and because most of my books are non-fiction, I consider them as teachings) are more accountable for what they say, or in my case, write. I take my writing very seriously and never want to lead anyone astray, add to scripture, or take anything away from scripture. The Bible is clear about that. So, with that in mind……

All prayers are heard.

First, all prayers are heard. After much research for my new book, I do not doubt that. I used to think it was only Christians whom I would describe as God-fearing, Bible-reading, praying Christians, whose prayers God hears. Now, I’m not so sure.

One thought I have is this: Every person who prays to God is expressing belief, or they wouldn’t pray, right? And by reaching out to God, doesn’t that provide God an opening to communicate with them? And isn’t that what God wants?

I don’t know why God would turn a deaf ear to any prayer prayed to him.

The Bible’s clear teachings about prayer

But I also know that the Bible clearly teaches that God answers some prayers more than others. He looks at motives, pure hearts, and righteous living. So there’s that. Scripture also states that he even turns away from some prayers.

Relevant Scripture

Multiple Bible verses state that God may not hear certain prayers, including:

While these are Old Testament verses, they can be applied to our generation as well.

So, whose prayers were honored on our behalf? Thank goodness I don’t have to figure it out. But here’s what I know.

Grateful for each prayer

My husband and I are grateful for each and every one of them. Is there any one particular prayer that’s making the biggest impact? I don’t know, but when we got those texts from those who said they were praying, we felt encouraged. We felt “covered” by prayer, and it brought us peace and comfort.

I certainly don’t have to wonder any longer about extending the publication date of my book. There is definitely more thinking and reading I need to do. I want to make sure that my book encourages people to pray. We are all in this school of prayer. I think that’s why I love the title of “With Christ in the School of Prayer ” by Andrew Murray. We are all learners at different stages, but no one will graduate until we leave this earth.

Expectations met or left wanting.

I find it interesting how people respond. I expected more from some of them, more reaching out, more concrete action. Some of those I expected less of gave more, and they touched my heart in unexpected ways. Then again, I’m tired, so maybe this isn’t the best time for me to evaluate anything, much less people.

One person in particular, someone I recently reacquainted with after many years, has pleasantly surprised me. I was ready to discount her faith because it differed greatly from mine. She is of a Native-American background, which, from what I have surmised, greatly influences her faith. And yet the texts she sends are couched in Bible verses. Her favorite verse is mine as well: “Be still and know I am God…” Psalm 46:10. My interactions with her are raising more questions than answers. I welcome those questions.

Have I made any conclusions?

Not really. There is only one thing I am sure of. That is, prayer is as mysterious as God. When I think I understand it for a nano-second, I learn something new. When I think I have prayer figured out, I go through a period like this when I feel I’m learning all over again, like I regressed from grad school to kindergarten!

I wrote all of this last week. Two weeks later, things have settled, but another crisis developed, which I will bring you up to speed about tomorrow. ( I hope.)

All of the above is rambling because that’s how I process things. I hope you don’t mind.

One thing is for sure: I believe in prayer, our personal prayers, and intercessory prayer. I also know that when I finish my book on prayer, I will have some “fresh” material, although, frankly, I could’ve done without it. 

I’ll try to make more sense tomorrow, but my brain is still kind of fried.

I truly hope you have a blessed day.