He Always Answers

He Always Answers

I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Psalm 17:6

“When you told me I had ALS, you said my prognosis was about two years. Is that still what you think?” Albert asked.

“Only God knows the hour, but based on those who’ve been in similar circumstances, I think that’s about right.”

Albert was a large, burly man who spoke with a deep-toned voice. Today that voice was filled with resignation. His petite wife sat quietly at his side, taking it all in. Of all the diagnoses I give my patients, ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is one of the worst. I know how many challenges the couple will face in the next few months.

“Now Albert, that’s just what the textbooks say. But God is still God, and it doesn’t mean we can’t pray for a miracle.”

“My wife and I pray every day that when I wake up in the morning, I won’t have this cross to bear. But so far, God has answered differently.”

Albert was right. It wasn’t that God didn’t answer their prayers; it was just that he hadn’t answered them the way they had hoped.

I’ve begun to understand that, even when God’s answers are not what we hoped for, there is a reward that comes later. Jesus himself experienced this right before he went to the cross. He asked his Father in heaven to remove the cup of suffering from him if it was aligned with his will. The answer Jesus got was not the one he hoped for. But he followed his Father’s plan anyway. He knew the reward that would come at the end of his mission.

When you ask God for something, do you get disappointed or even angry when the outcome is not what you wanted or expected? Do you sometimes misinterpret God’s answer as not answering?

Albert’s journey was hard, but he understood that God always answered his prayers, even when the answers weren’t what he had hoped for. And this knowledge transformed his prayers. Over time, his prayers were transformed as he learned to pray for God’s will first and foremost.

Albert was eventually healed of ALS but not here on earth. The reward for his faithfulness came when he entered eternity.

TODAY’S RX

God always hears and answers our prayers. And God always keeps his promises.

God, thank you for bending down and listening to my prayers. You hear my praises and my cries, and you answer faithfully all I ask. Help me to be patient and steadfast in my faith as I wait on you.