Our Need for Prayer (Part 3)

By Engr. Carlos Cornejo

The answer to our prayers can be illustrated in this story.  A young man was getting ready to graduate from college.  For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom.  Knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As the graduation day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.  Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study.  His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son and how much he loved him.  He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.  Curious but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible.  Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in his business.  He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family.  But he realized his father is now very old and thought perhaps he should go visit him.  He had not seen him since that graduation day.  Before he could make arrangements, the man received a telegram telling him his father had passed away and willed all of his possessions to him.  He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.  When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.

He began to search his father’s important papers and saw the still-new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.  Through tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages.  As he read some words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible.  It had a tag with a dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired.  On the tag was the date of his graduation and the word “paid in full”.

How many times do we miss God’s blessing because they are not packaged as we expected?

Sometimes God answers us in a different way.  His answers are not what we expected because He is God and we are not.  God is all-wise, all-powerful and all-good.  Part of His being powerful is He sees the future.  If God were not wise but only powerful and good, we could trust that He does good things to us but not in the best possible outcome because He could not plan it well.  If God were wise and loving only but not powerful, He would wish us the best but could not make it happen because he lacks power. If God is not good but only powerful and wise, we could not expect a good outcome to our petition. We could even get a bad result.  But God is infinitely good, powerful and wise.  Thus, we can trust Him with all that we ask that it will be answered in the best way at the best time. Often times the fruit of our prayer is a spiritual blessing because God always prioritizes the soul over our body.  Thus, the gifts are not seen but are only felt and experienced.  But we have to trust.  That’s why faith is important.