Answered prayer

The God Who Hears

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears Psalm 34:4

In my imagination I sometimes wonder just how soundly asleep Jesus really was during the storm at sea. I have thought that perhaps he was more aware of the circumstances than the disciples knew. Perhaps as He climbed into the boat that day He said something along the lines of,

“Okay while you guys start rowing us across Galilee, I am going to take a nap. Then as He borrowed a pillow and went to sleep He was saying to himself, “I know what is coming next, I wonder how long it will be before they wake me up?”

Then as the wind picked up and the sky darkened with storm clouds the disciples kept rowing as hard as they could. They didn’t want Jesus to have to worry about anything; after all they were all experienced fishermen. Then as the first wave or two sloshed over the side of the boat some may have begun to worry. Finally as wave after giant wave tossed the little boat up and down and it began to take on water panic took hold of their hearts.

“Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Mark 4:38b

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Just like us, they had come to the place where they wondered if God even cared about their fears. But Jesus is in our boat, to be our Immanuel through any storm. He listened to the disciples. He listened to King David. He is listening to you.

If today you are facing your biggest fear God is with you in your boat. He is waiting for us to cry out like David, like the disciples and like countless generations of believers. He is with us and He hears!

Then God Answers

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”  Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour

Matthew 15:27-28

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When Jesus said, “Great is your faith!” it is interesting to see that she had two kinds of faith operating here at the same time. The first faith said, “Jesus can heal my daughter.” While the second, “He wants to heal my daughter.”.

Most of us when we are praying believe that God is able to grant our request. God’s ability is tied directly to His existence. If there is a God He is certainly able to do anything. But for us to have the great faith of this woman we must also pass in the dark testing so then we will know His true joy when the ray of hope breaks through

In spite of His silence she continued to believe that He was listening. In spite of the discouragement by His disciples she continued to ask. Finally in the face of seeming refusal she continued to believe that Jesus was truly willing to give her the help that she needed.

The source of our answer to our plea for grace is unfailing but it often lies at the bottom of the well of humility. Will you and me, like this woman accept grace on any terms. Will we be willing to take the lowest place possible? It is not that God is out to humiliate us but He is inviting us to a deeper fellowship with Him, who came as a servant of all!