Prayer is so critical in our lives. It's one of the ways we communicate to God what we need. And while sometimes it can be hard to pray, (especially when you're going through a lot and seem overwhelmed by issues) we can rest assure in knowing that when we do pray, God hears us.
I remember one day, I was begging God for help. I had just had a terrible day before, and my mind was not focused on doing anything that day. I needed a way to escape my daily responsibilities so that I could actually rest. So I simply prayed "God I don't know how you're gonna do it, but if you can please give me a break today." And let me tell you, I got a break that day in the most unexpected way! You see, I was redirected to go to another location instead of my regular location for work. And once I got there, they told that I didn't need to be there long and that I could go home. While it didn't happen exactly the way I thought it would, God DID answer my prayers! I received a break that day and was able to rest and recoup.
I think that sometimes, we limit God on answering our prayers. We expect him to answer our prayers in a specific way or a specific time. But guess what? God is the creator of creativity. He can answer prayers SO creatively! We can't expect him to answer prayers the way we want; rather we have to TRUST in him and know that no matter how he's gonna do it, he will answer our prayers.
There's one specific story in the Bible that I love which further supports this point; the story of Abraham being tested. If you have time, go and read Genesis 22. In this story, God told Abraham to go and sacrifice his only son Isaac on a mountain. Basically, he was telling him that "hey, in order to offer a sacrifice for worship, I need you to kill your only child". Now Abraham didn't argue with God. He simply went, got his son and the next morning they set out to go to the mountain. He didn't tell his son that he was going to be the sacrifice. Even when the son asked "Dad, where is the animal for sacrifice?" Abraham replied "The Lord will provide us with one" (Genesis 22:7-8). Long story short, once they got to the mountain, just as he was about to kill his son, an angel of the Lord called to him saying that he doesn't have to sacrifice his son. Instead, a ram appeared right in the bush and it was sacrificed.
Now I know that story may seem drastic to some, but the point is that Abraham believed that God would provide and he DID! And it was not the way he expected; shoot, he was moments away from slaying his own child. But God answered prayer, just like he always does!
I get that when you pray sometimes, it can be frustrating. Especially when you feel like God isn't answering you. But I challenge you today to change your perspective and look at things the way Abraham did; with faith that the Lord will provide. What you don't know is that God has probably answered your prayers already. You just don't realize it because it doesn't look the way you expect it. An answer to prayer is an answer to prayer, no matter how unorthodox it may be!
Here are some tips to help you when believing God for answered prayers;
Don't limit God! He's LIMITLESS. He can literally answer your prayer however he wants. It may not even make sense logically, but you have to remember that God is not logical. Luke 18:27 states " What is impossible with man is possible with God."
Change your perspective! Your closed minded thinking is probably keeping you from realizing that God has answered your prayer. Look at things differently. Have an open mind and look at how God is answering your prayers. You prayed for rest, and you have to leave work for a few days unexpectedly. You prayed for peace, and all of a sudden that relationship that was stressing you out finally comes to an end. There really is a such thing as blessings in disguise!
Always keep your faith! Your faith is what activates your blessings. No matter how things look, continue to pray and believe God for what you're praying for. You'll be surprised at how much progress you start to see in your prayer life.
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