“Fervent prayers are answered beyond measure…”
Courtesy: Monte Mendoza
I Kings 3:11-13, so God said to Solomon, “Since you have asked for this… I will do what you have asked… Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for-both riches and honor-so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings (NIV).”
Often times many believers assumed (wrongly) that God sees and knows our hearts and needs before the prayer is offered to God and the obvious result leads to question negative answers and lazy to pray. Indeed, God demands sincere and confessing heart in prayer and He never fails to answer every single prayer. Many times we murmur and question why God never answer our prayers… but I believe God always answers our prayers faithfully.
I believe every prayer is answered in two ways – positive or negative. Prayer is often answered but negatively or opposite to what we make appeal to or cry out to for specific things in a particular time and needs, sometime the answers are fulfilled in an unexpected time. Probably this kind of prayer’s answers may be wrong approach and wrong timing in the sight of God or there may be some wrong motives and attitudes behind those prayers. Above all, prayer has to do a lot with patience and humility. On the other hand, prayers are sometimes positive and immediately our prayers are answered. In this case, our prayer might be in the right tract and in the will of God for what we are asking and crying for. Blessed are those whose prayers are answered immediately.
King Solomon could have asked of many other things but faithfully and honestly he asked the most needed one among all things. He was so humble and acknowledged God’s greatness and kindness and leading hands towards his father David and the same blessings upon his life. He approached God with emptiness, lowly and humble submission seeking God’s wisdom and guidance to rule the people who were placed under his care and leadership. Thus, his attitudes of spiritual hunger and thirst and gratefulness motives were on the favor of God and pleased God to grant beyond his expected requests including the things he even mentioned not. God sees his clean heart, his honest and faithful prayer and the genuine needs for his people at his crucial time.
Prayer is timeless, season less, it is without ceasing (I Thess.5: 17) deep within our hearts in times of joy, happiness, success, achievements, brokenness, frustrations, stress, hopelessness, failures because we do not know God’s doing in our lives. It may not be good for the moment but in the future it may be the best thing that we may realize it is the Lord’s hand. Let us not only come to the Lord in prayer when we are in confused or difficult times but let us learn to acknowledge the goodness of sovereign Lord in all situations of our lives. Our God is the same God of King Solomon who did answered such unasked prayers He is ready to do miracles to our faithful and grateful prayer, He is ready to grant our prayers of any difficulties, problems, and unspoken prayer at anytime because He is the God who answers prayers beyond measures…come and seek Him, claim His promise, experience the power of prayer and be blessed.
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