What on Earth is God Doing (article) by Gary Kurz on AuthorsDen

Do you have trouble with your prayer life? Do your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling? You are not alone. Prayer can be a powerful tool in the Christian's arsenal as they battle against the world, Satan and even their own flesh. No matter what forces are mounted against the believer, help is always but a whisper away. Unfortunately for many, prayers sometime seem to be ineffective. They appear to go nowhere, bouncing back to them from off the ceiling, figuratively speaking of course. Indeed, it has been my observation that ineffective prayer is one of the most common concerns among believers. Years ago a friend of mine was visiting me at my home when I lived in Hawaii. He was between semesters at college and had done so well in his studies that his father decided to reward him with an all-expense paid vacation to the islands. Though he was not spending lavishly during his three week stay, paradise is an expensive place to live and he quickly ran out of funds. He wrote to his father asking for more money, but a response never came. Everyone in my household wondered out loud why his father had not responded. Each of us hazarded a guess as to why he had not sent money, but none seemed very plausible. I suggested to my friend that he call his father and ask him why he had not answered him or sent money. Unconcerned my friend said "I don't know why my father didn't answer me, but I know that he would never do anything to hurt me. I am sure that he had a good reason. I will wait until I get home; then I can ask him face to face." This is precisely the attitude that Christians should have regarding their Father in heaven. When he does not give us a quick or obvious answer to our prayers, we should accept that he has his reasons and that our prayer did not bounce back at us, but rather that it was simply put on hold in heaven. Too often we think there are only two answers to prayer, "yes" or "no", but "wait" is also an answer. We believers have freedom in Christ and that freedom sometimes causes us to ask foolish questions like "what on earth is God doing", when our prayers are not quickly answered. Like my friend, we would be wise not to cater to unsettling thoughts, but trust rather that our Father would do nothing to hurt us. A spirit of humility will cause our hearts to understand that God indeed knows what he is doing on earth rather than allowing our hearts to form such a foolish question. The prayer of a saint never bounces off the ceiling. When we bend our knees to pray, God bends down to listen. Psalm 65:2 reminds us of this when the psalmist writes "O thou who hearest prayer�". If the answer to your prayer was not obvious or forthcoming, don't rush to judgment. Accept that he hears and know that he cares. His reasons for not answering may not be clear at the present, but there will be a day when you will see him face to face and be able to ask him why. ��
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