A Bible study series on prayer entitled Whisper by Mark Batterson is about leaning in close to God’s heart to hear His voice. In discussion with my friends, someone asked how come she prayed and prayed and there seemed to be no answer to her prayers. This candid question is also a dilemma for many of us.
A friend’s insightful response stayed with me. God’s answer to our prayers is not a dot or a specific point in the map of destinations. It is a combination of several steps in the journey.
I learned and am still learning that prayer is more than just me asking God for specific answers to specific concerns. Unlike Biblical heroes of olden times, I do not hear God’s audible voice telling me exactly what to do in life’s hard decisions. He gives me the freedom to choose and make decisions within the boundaries of His two great commandments – love Him and love neighbours. He also grants wisdom through the Holy Spirit to help me choose wisely.
I sometimes wish and pray that God would tell me option 1 or option 2 coz I know God’s ways are perfect. But He does not do that. I need to decide and choose wisely with all considerations. As I act and step out in faith and obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading, God opens and closes doors along the way.
Let me give an example. In the Covid lockdown, I had to be referee/peacemaker because my helpers quarreled. On one occasion, the issue was resolved and they made up after we prayed together. Later, one left not because they did not make up but because God worked out circumstances that way.
Our Bible teacher who regularly does bible study with our helpers was able to lead the new helper in the sinner’s prayer. She was new in her faith. It seemed to me that her way of life and attitude did not reflect her new faith. And so I prayed: Lord, if you think that she needs to stay with us so she can still grow in her Christian walk, then work things out so she would stay. But she left. Does it mean God did not answer my prayer? Not at all. He just answered it differently. I prayed the Holy Spirit continue to transform her. As I pray, I trust God will work.
Prayers are God’s means to teach me to depend on Him for wisdom to act justly, extend kindness and do good every day. God does not want to me to stay in the elementary level passing tests with easy multiple choice questions. How I respond in faith and obedience to hard essay questions allows me to level up – to experience and know God more – good, just, kind and wise.
I must lean in and put my ears close to the heart of God – to hear his voice. I need more time with him than social media, more thoughts on His desires than other distractions and struggles with worries, fears, anger, etc to turn off noises of the world and turn on the whispers of the Word and be attuned to God’s truths.
