Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Orange Moon Cafe “Prayers Forgotten, Prayers Remembered"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…


"Prayers Forgotten, Prayers Remembered"


      Prayers prayed, but long forgotten by us, doubtless continue to be answered by the God who cannot forget.  Nor can He fail to answer prayers offered in accordance with His will.

    "This is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us, and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" (I Corinthians 5:14-15). 

     We likely do not see the large preponderance of God's answers to our prayers.  This prevents our spiritual enemies from tempting us to the pride that that might deceive us if we saw how faithfully our Heavenly Father responds to our petitions.  Moreover, how God answers our prayers often greatly transcends our understanding.  Because "the Lord looketh on the heart," He may answer the intent of our prayers in ways that may not look like answers (I Samuel 16:7).  Certainly our Heavenly Father does not give us a serpent when we ask for a fish (Matthew 7:10).  He may, however, act in response to our prayers in ways so devoted to the heart that we cannot see His dynamic working.  He also acts according to His imponderable wisdom rather than our limited understanding.  Thus, the Apostle Paul declared, "We know not what to pray for as we ought" (Romans 8:26).  He also taught that "we walk by faith, not by sight,"  confirming the Spirit of God's working  in ways we cannot see or comprehend  (II Corinthians 5:7). 

   What if you remembered a prayer offered decades ago for someone long removed from your association, and perhaps even forgotten?  What if you also realized the Lord continued to work in response to your request?   Certainly many issues require ongoing petition, as the Lord taught regarding the importunate widow (Luke 18:3-5).  Some matters, however, continue to move the heart and hand of God because in a moment of time, we sincerely made request according to His will.   He far more sincerely responds to petitions long forgotten by us, but long and faithfully remembered by the One who loves to answer our prayers far more than we love to pray them.  Indeed, we do well to remember that prayer is 99% about the One to whom we pray, namely, His glory, His will, and His work.   Our role is important and even vital in God's purposes.  We nevertheless do well to remember that important as our asking may be, our Father's acting in response matters infinitely more.  Thus, we can be sure that prayers perhaps long forgotten by the supplicant nevertheless find the Savior still working to answer in ways wondrously beyond our remembrance, vision and comprehension...

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church throughout all ages, world without end, Amen."
 (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Weekly Memory Verse
      "Lord, Thou hast been our dwellingplace in all generations."
 (Psalm 90:1)

























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