Al Earley A Religious Point of View

…………… We hear about the power of prayer. We see it all the time if we pray very often, but there are times in our lives when it seems God is forever answering our prayers, “Not yet!” It is usually something important to us, and so we fixate on that prayer, and even begin to think God answers all our prayers that way.

There are many ways God answers prayer: Yes, No, Maybe, Not Yet, and Giving us more than we ever imagined. A careful study of my prayer journal shows me that 70%-80% of the time God answers my prayers, “Yes.” That is a high percentage. I remember that when it feels like God is answering my prayers, “Maybe or Not Yet.” About 10% of the time it seems God answers my prayers, “No.” When this happens I usually find over time the reason for the no answer is that God has a better plan. The rest fall into the “Maybe” and “Not Yet” category.

So why does God answer our prayers, “Not Yet?” I have found that the main reason is to change us. Jesus told his disciples there would be such times in our prayer life, and he told them to just keep praying. We read in Luke 11:9 & 13), “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

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