It’s been halfway through this year and by the grace of God, He has given me the opportunity to see how he’s been answering my prayers, using no other than myself.
Once I heard that the greatest answer to prayer is receiving what you have asked for (with the right motive and attitude), but remembering that in the instance of “not yet receiving what you’ve asked for,” one must rest on the fact that God alone is enough. Prayer is not actually asking for something and expecting a reply from the one to whom you’ve sent your prayer to. It is an avenue of communing with the Lord and establishing your relationship with the heavenly Father. And knowing Him more and more through the discipline of prayer is also a spiritual breakthrough.
“This is the confidence that we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.”
– John 5:14-15
I’ve been resting on the fact that “God alone is enough,” but without so much expectation on how He would answer my silent prayers. Sometimes, God’s answers to our prayers also depend on how we live out our faith. I asked for a courageous heart and what I realized are situations requiring me to make sound and “courageous” decisions—those that require commitment and follow through on my part. So He is enough but you also have your part to play in the realization of your prayers.
During our church’s Prayer and Fasting Week on the second week of January this year, I prayed and fasted for three things. This time, I also prayed for an expectant heart and resolved to work with God hand-on-hand with those matters. I know my tendencies and that is to easily give up and stare blankly on an unreached goal. So with that I was also asking that He would help me overcome myself. I asked the Lord to set my motives right and lifted to him all the frustrations I had… with myself.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid and terrified because of them,
for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
–Deuteronomy 31:6
I adhered on that verse and simply amazing things happened within the course of five months. I am now involved in a local Christian church in Antipolo and have started being involved with the youth ministry. One Saturday night in June, while I was with my parents, I was able to share with them the Four Spiritual Laws and both of them accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through prayer. “Witnessing is taking the initiative to share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the result to God.” On February 12, I gave my commitment to this man of love and purity until the day we’re married and even after.
God isn’t slow in fulfilling His promises. He has His wise time table. Most of the time, it is us who delay the blessings that are supposed to be ours earlier on but did not because we stepped back and refused to immediately obey. We reap the results of our decisions… and indecisions although there is God’s prompting. But so, in His goodness, in spite of our delay, “he makes all things work to those who love Him, which are called according to His purposes.”
