<\/p>\n
Back in the day, when I felt my prayers were left unheeded, there was always this seething displeasure that built up inside me\u2013sulking over those unanswered prayers. They kept me waiting in utter defeat for what felt like ages.<\/p>\n
I know how emotionally exhausting and debilitating it is to wait; months turning into years with no end in sight. Thus, whenever I overheard pastors and fellow Christians blurt out that God answers all prayers, I could not process what it truly meant.<\/p>\n
But then, as we mature in our walk with God, realizing what it means to live for Christ, our displeasure and resentment for not getting what we want is softened quite drastically\u2014our frustrations for not having our prayers granted begin to wane, replaced by quiet contentment, an assurance that all will be well, despite witnessing the opposite of what we expect or desire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I remember in my moment of crisis, I got so tired of fighting and struggling that I just sat there quietly in the corner of my room and didn\u2019t say a word. The Lord understood what was in my heart. I was letting go and wanted God to carry me through, to fight my battles because I was too tired and scared to do anything. It was in that moment of surrender that I found peace\u2014for I knew I could trust God. He would carry me through my hardest seasons. And He did.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.\u201d Philippians 4:7 (KJV)<\/p>\n
By His grace, we are more than able to experience His glorious peace, having this inner calm despite having our wishes slip further out of reach\u2014despite having the things we long for left unfulfilled for countless seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.\u201d Romans 8:28 (NKJV)<\/p>\n
There is this secret knowledge that the world is not made privy to, or probably they know but they just can\u2019t grasp as it didn\u2019t resonate with them: \u201cthe peace of God, which surpasses all understanding\u201d (Philippians 4:7 NKJV).<\/p>\n
In the past, when we\u2019re still so entrenched with the things of the world, quite oblivious to the things of the Spirit, our peace is like a fragile thread that\u2019s tied to our life\u2019s shifting currents. But as our walk with God deepens, our peace is no longer at the mercy of our live\u2019s ever-changing circumstances. By saying so, I don\u2019t mean that we don\u2019t feel anxious or stressed at all\u2014but our worries are more manageable since Christ came into our lives.<\/p>\n
The peace that comes from knowing that our life is in God\u2019s mighty hand allows us to live with confidence, a calm assurance that melts away our fears despite the chaos and uncertainties that beset us. It takes spiritual maturity to get to this point.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And though we aren\u2019t impervious to life\u2019s pain, easily scarred by unanswered prayers, setbacks, and disappointments, there is that knowing that every unfulfilled wish and stumble turns into a leap toward something greater.<\/p>\n
For those who walk in the light of God\u2019s truth, love, and grace, even the darkest seasons are turned into life\u2019s greatest blessings. God will never put our tears and heartaches to waste. He turns our sorrows into seasons of spiritual renewal, allowing us to flourish as He molds us into the image of His Son so we may become a vessel of His love, light, and holiness.<\/p>\n
Yes, He does. When we have impure motives, God answers our prayers by withholding what we ask for to refine our flawed character. When we ask Him to grant our prayers for a visa to a much-favored country, God answers our prayers by ensuring our entry request would be rebuffed and thwarted as He has loftier aspirations for us in the land of our birth.<\/p>\n
That being said, God also answers prayers according to our heart\u2019s desires but may require us to wait for a season. He makes us wait to ensure our answered prayers would shift the tides in our favor, the kind of success that comes from above, a blessing beyond our wildest dreams, unencumbered by grief and distress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTrust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.\u201d Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)<\/p>\n
As we continue to walk in the light of God\u2019s truth and grace, our intrinsic desire for control wanes, allowing God to wield His authority, influence, and dominion over our lives. As such, our prayers easily morph from, \u201cI want\u201d into \u201cThy will be done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
You may say it\u2019s easier said than done. You\u2019re right\u2014that may be the case, but it doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s beyond reach. I have read astonishing stories of people who managed to maintain a calm, serene, and lighthearted frame of mind even while in the thick of life\u2019s battles. That unfathomable peace of God remained steadfast even when prayers seemed to go unheeded.<\/p>\n
More often than not, we have certain longings we thought would best serve our interests but fall short of expectations. As such, let\u2019s not drift into the corner, sulking, throwing a fit because things didn\u2019t turn out our way despite busting heaven\u2019s door with our ardent pleas and requests. For all we know, God is either steering us clear of our wrong turns or has a much better plan in store for us.<\/p>\n
Time and again, we have proven that we can\u2019t trust our own wisdom nor listen to our deceitful hearts. We\u2019re fallible humans, predisposed to make unwise choices and erroneous judgments. Thus, to listen to God\u2019s voice is not only wise but also reflects our spiritual maturity, unshakeable faith, and utter dependence on His grace.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.\u201d\u00a0Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV<\/p>\n
Photo Credit: \u00a9Getty Images\/fizkes<\/span><\/p>\n Liz Pineda <\/strong>holds a degree in English Education from the University of the Assumption, Philippines. She’s an English teacher by trade, but currently works as a freelance writer for online publications and e-commerce websites. And though she enjoys writing for various niches, she still considers crafting content for the Christian community the most fulfilling. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Back in the day, when I felt my prayers were left unheeded, there was always this seething displeasure that built up inside me\u2013sulking over those unanswered prayers. They kept me waiting in utter defeat for what felt like ages. I know how emotionally exhausting and debilitating it is to wait; months turning into years with<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[948,182,2371,57],"class_list":{"0":"post-26707","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christian-living","8":"tag-answers","9":"tag-god","10":"tag-ibelieve-com","11":"tag-prayers"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26707\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}