Posts
“A Surprising Answer”
By Susanne
Scheppmann
Key
Verse:
“For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the Lord. "As the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts
than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
Devotion:
I
hate you!” she said as the door slammed behind her. I recalled with a sigh, the ten long years
that I had been praying for the Lord to bring my stepdaughter a Christian
friend. Since she was living in another state, we held little sway of influence
as Christian parents. My husband and I longed to raise her in our home.
Now
however, she was sixteen and attending high school. I doubted we would ever
have the opportunity for her to live with us. So what could I do? I prayed for
a Christian friend to move into her life to introduce her to Jesus Christ.
I
prayed. I wrote in my prayer journal of the desires and concerns regarding my
stepdaughter. Yet, I saw few positive results.
Although familiar with Psalm 139:4, “Before a word is on my tongue you
know it completely, O Lord (NIV),” I began to question if God heard my prayers.
Through
some unusual events my stepdaughter came to live with our family. She arrived
angry and full of rebellion. Little did
I know I had just begun one of the most difficult seasons of my adult
life. As a blended family adjusting to a
new member, we felt we were being pureed in a family-dysfunctional blender. We
fought, we cried, and we prayed. I did not believe we would survive. My faith
ran low in believing any change could occur. Although my faith faltered, my
prayers prevailed.
One
night I curled up in bed discouraged and exhausted. Again, the question
surfaced, “Lord, do you hear me at all?” I picked up my prayer journal from the
nightstand, thumbed through the pages of the past year. The written record of
my prayers pleaded, “Lord, bring her a Christian friend!” Suddenly, I saw the
answer to my prayer. God could use me
to be the friend who would point her to God.
From
that moment on, I worked diligently to win her confidence and trust. Was it
easy? No. Did we still struggle with life issues and rebellion? Absolutely! Do
I still pray for her? Yes, indeed! But I
know God hears and answer my prayers, but not always in a way I can predict.
The
Lord affirms our key verse in my life time and again, “For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts
(Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV).” He surprises and challenges me with His answers.
What
surprise answers lay within your prayers?
Prayer:
Dear Lord, remind me how You always hear my prayers. Open my eyes to the answers You give in
response to my requests. Help me to
understand when You answer my prayers in completely different ways than how I
expect. Let me accept that Your thoughts
and ways are higher than mine. In
Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application
steps:
If
you record your prayers in a journal, take 15 minutes to review past prayer
requests. Ask yourself, Has God answered any of these prayers, and
have I overlooked His obvious answer? Or begin today to record your prayer
requests in a notebook. Jot down the
date and the request and allow room for notes on how God answers your prayers
in the future.
Reflections:
Do
I believe God hears my prayers?
Do
I dictate to God how He should answer my prayers?
How
has God surprised me with an answer different than the one I expected?
Do
I acknowledge that His ways are “higher than my ways” when I pray?
Power
verses:
Psalm
91:15, “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in
trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” (NIV)
Isaiah
58:9a, “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help,
and he will say: Here am I.”(NIV)
Psalm
34:17, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from
all their troubles.” (NIV)
©© 2009 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment