I am encouraged here to write on the power of prayer which I have experienced in my life after I went through a lot of trails and tribulations. In my opinion Prayer is our communion with God. It should not be just lip service, but words which come from the heart. We need to talk to God in prayers just like we would be talking to a person sitting across us. But how many of us can do it? Not many because we lack the faith.
Before we even start praying, we start doubting whether God will grant our wish. The language of the kingdom of God is praise and thanksgiving, whereas kingdom of darkness is complaint. God knows each and every thought we have in our mind. He is willing to answer our prayers. Most of us have one time or the other felt that some of our prayers are answered immediately. This is because God wants to increase our faith in him. But at times our prayers are answered after a gap of time.
If one ponders, one will find the answer it is meant to increase our patience, endurance and perseverance. Sometimes we are disappointed that what we ask we do not receive, but instead we get something else, here we must rememeber that God will give us only what is good for us and if he has not given, he wants us to wait a little more, something better is in store for us. We must not stop praying, but continue till we get an answer and surely we will get a reply from God.
By attending two retreats, I was able to understand the deeper significance of unanswered prayers. Just as a child is expected to be obedient to his parents, so also God expects us to be obedient to HIM. But instead of doing his will, we are running our life on our own will, i.e. going against the will of the Almighty, and thus we fail. In our heart we are filled with hatred, anger, pride, jealousy etc. etc. and we want God to grant our wishes. It is only after we go for confession and be truly sorry for the wrong things done, and make a resolution to do away with these wrongs that God listens to our plea.
Sin is like a heavy burden which we carry day in and day out which needs to be emptied at the feet of our Almighty. Most of the time we plan our work, believing that we are mighty and strong, but we do not ask the Lord to give us his grace. So here the result is – a job poorly done at the wrong time and our needs are not completely supplied. God does not open doors until we knock. We do not find because we have not sought God?s will and we do not receive for we have not asked. Asking for something from God with a selfish motive will never be answered. God has promised to give each one of us according to his needs. God answers prayers which according to him is safe for you, he will not answer if it will harm you because only he knows the future. Satan does not like the weapon of pray, and so one is faced with all temptations, but if one continues praying, satan is defeated.
Some of our Christians instead of believing in our God, try to consult astrology, tantrics and others, this will only bring wrath of God on us and nothing else. To wind up let me share one more thought – God loves a cheerful giver – in order to receive we have to practice charity in our homes/relatives/neighbours and so on.
Author: Susan Dsouza- UAE
