What does it take for God to answer prayer? What does his answer look like?
There is no single template of course. We do not have a god in a box, but a free God who acts as he best sees fit. When we think we have him pegged, he surprises us with still more grace. His mercies are new each morning; never dull or expected, but always fresh and invigorating.
Nevertheless, reflecting on answered prayer has led me to the following conclusion: More often than we might like to think, what it takes for God to answer prayer is human obedience. Border-line heretical as it sounds, we have a role to play in prayer that requires us not only to ask, but to be part of the answer.
Consider Moses.
God confronts Moses at a burning bush. He tells Moses not only of what is happening in the lives of the Israelites, but of what is happening in the life of God Himself. Israel is crying out to God because of her suffering, and God has heard their cries and been moved to initiate a mighty act of deliverance.
As far as the children of Israel are concerned, this is a story with three characters: God (soon to be introduced as YHWH), Israel and Egypt. Israel prays to God in the hope that he delivers them from the tyrannical hand of the Egyptians. God, however, transports a fourth character into the drama. YHWH's answer to prayer takes the form of him commissioning Moses to be His agent of deliverance.
Moses now has a choice: to obey or not to obey. He can be God's sent one, or he can ignore the call on his life. After some powerful persuasion from YHWH, Moses chooses obedience and goes on to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
The Israelites prayed to God for freedom; God's answer came in the form of human obedience. This paradigm reached its zenith in Jesus of Nazareth. Our need for freedom was answered in the form of a man obedient to God to the point of death, even death on a cross.
There is much more to be said on this topic, but I'll finish with this: Those who don't believe God answers prayer don't take seriously enough the (witting or unwitting) obedience of their fellow human beings to the will of God. When the naked are clothed, when the thirsty are given water to drink, when words of comfort are spoken to a broken heart, God is at work and prayers are being answered. What a privilege for us to be involved in the answers, but what a responsibility. We can take comfort and courage, however, from the words of YHWH to Moses (and the words of Jesus to his own sent ones): I will be with you.
There is no single template of course. We do not have a god in a box, but a free God who acts as he best sees fit. When we think we have him pegged, he surprises us with still more grace. His mercies are new each morning; never dull or expected, but always fresh and invigorating.
Nevertheless, reflecting on answered prayer has led me to the following conclusion: More often than we might like to think, what it takes for God to answer prayer is human obedience. Border-line heretical as it sounds, we have a role to play in prayer that requires us not only to ask, but to be part of the answer.
Consider Moses.
God confronts Moses at a burning bush. He tells Moses not only of what is happening in the lives of the Israelites, but of what is happening in the life of God Himself. Israel is crying out to God because of her suffering, and God has heard their cries and been moved to initiate a mighty act of deliverance.
As far as the children of Israel are concerned, this is a story with three characters: God (soon to be introduced as YHWH), Israel and Egypt. Israel prays to God in the hope that he delivers them from the tyrannical hand of the Egyptians. God, however, transports a fourth character into the drama. YHWH's answer to prayer takes the form of him commissioning Moses to be His agent of deliverance.
Moses now has a choice: to obey or not to obey. He can be God's sent one, or he can ignore the call on his life. After some powerful persuasion from YHWH, Moses chooses obedience and goes on to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
The Israelites prayed to God for freedom; God's answer came in the form of human obedience. This paradigm reached its zenith in Jesus of Nazareth. Our need for freedom was answered in the form of a man obedient to God to the point of death, even death on a cross.
There is much more to be said on this topic, but I'll finish with this: Those who don't believe God answers prayer don't take seriously enough the (witting or unwitting) obedience of their fellow human beings to the will of God. When the naked are clothed, when the thirsty are given water to drink, when words of comfort are spoken to a broken heart, God is at work and prayers are being answered. What a privilege for us to be involved in the answers, but what a responsibility. We can take comfort and courage, however, from the words of YHWH to Moses (and the words of Jesus to his own sent ones): I will be with you.
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