God Always Answers Prayers

Today’s reading: Philippians 4:4-9

I often hear myself saying, “God always answers prayers,” even though I realize that’s not entirely true.

If God did always answer prayers, my family’s beloved cat Prissy — who disappeared when I was in the 2nd grade — would still be spending her evenings purring in my lap; I would be either an investigative reporter for the New York Times or a Congressman; I would have already written many books; the United States military would not have invaded Iraq in 2002; my wife and I would already be living in the beautiful farmhouse my grand parents once owned; my grandmother would still be alive to teach me all her East Texas sayings that used to kept me laughing when I was a boy; my cousin would have survived his fight with lung disease; my mother and my wife would both be singing in a church choir, and Aspberger’s Syndrome would no longer hide my father’s genius.

I could keep going for days with this disheartening list of my prayers God has never answered.

And I’m sure a similar “b.s. alarm” erupts in other people when they hear me  proclaim my eternal confidence that God does, indeed,  answer all prayers.  Such contradictions are enough to make just about anyone an atheist.

So it time for me  to clarify my claim. And today’s reading, along with this great sermon I found when I asked Google “what exactly does supplication mean,” will help me do that.

Paul says “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Verse 6)

It turns out that supplication is the key to a life of successful prayer (i.e., prayer that God answers).  Thanks be to God for Pastor Bob’s sermon that explains this word.

“The word supplication is directly related to the simple verb for “to bind” (Matthew 18:18). Wherever you encounter the term “supplication,” it is presenting to us that kind of prayer where we come to the Lord and move into the dimension of controlling by the power of God that which is uncontrollable by human power.”

As I see it, this is the only kind of prayer God can answer.

It’s common sense, really. A tennis partner and I are preparing for a big tournament later this month, so we have hired a coach.  This man has all-star credentials, but we realize he cannot help us  if we tell him how to coach us or, worse, if we ignore what he says. No, we must bind with him. We must try to understand his point of view. We must communicate with him and trust him to lead us wisely. But we cannot expect him to win the tournament for us.

The same principal is at work with God during prayer.

When I approach God with a “request,” I must be willing to work with Him to see it through. And, sometimes, working with him means that I must modify my request. Just as I should not stubbornly expect my tennis coach to make me a champion as right-handed player when I have been left-handed my whole life, I should not expect God to bring my beloved cat back home if  He has other uses for her.

Granted, I was just a young child when I begged God to bring our precious Prissy back, but I now realize that I should have known better. Had I then understood Paul’s prescription for prayer, I would have thanked God for the many wonderful evenings with my friend, promised to keep those warm memories with me forever and told God that I trusted He would always keep her comfortable.

That’s the kind of prayer that God will answer immediately — even if it’s uttered after the fact.  How do I know? He just answered it:  I’ve just realized that my cat Astro, lying peacefully beside me as I type, looks, and acts, a lot like Prissy. I will forever love both of those great animals!

Thanks be to God for always answering my prayers (when treated with a healthy dose of supplication). May I stay forever bound to Him.