When the answered prayer doesn’t feel like a blessing…

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps ~Proverbs 16:9

Real MOMent

I know this title seems contradictory. We all know that God providing an answer to our prayers, the answer that we wanted and hoped for, the prayer that our human eyes felt like had been delayed, should be considered nothing less than a blessing!

But, what about when the answered prayer doesn’t feel like a blessing?

I have a testimony that I thought would have already appeared in a blog writing (maybe it will later if God sees fit). The testimony involves a prayer that God answered in His own way and in His own timing. Please believe me, the process I have gone through has resulted in a journey of spiritual growth that could only be perfectly orchestrated by God. By the time I received the YES, I was completely in awe of God’s faithfulness to me and realized that the answer wasn't greater than the process. Sounds like a good read, right?

God answered my prayer, but within six months after receiving the ‘YES’ that I longed for, my answered prayer started to feel more frustrating and mentally exhausting than I would have ever imagined. I was being pulled away from my family and, at times, from myself. I was so conflicted in my feelings. I didn’t want to complain about a blessing, my answered prayer, but it didn’t feel like a blessing.

Growing up, I remember the older folks would say “you have to be careful what you ask the Lord for, He just might give it to you.” Did this apply to me in this case? Was I not careful?

Everything that led up to my answered prayer, all the “no(s)” and disappointments made me 100% sure that when He finally granted me His “yes” it was specific to me. I just didn’t know why the other side of the answered prayer was not what I expected. Shouldn’t the result of all answered prayers be happy, seamless, and peaceful?

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MOMent of Clarity

The contradictory title for this writing came to mind when my son started swimming lessons this Summer. He wanted them and I wanted him to be an avid swimmer, so I said “yes.” During one of his lessons, the instructor pushed him a little bit harder than he had previously been accustomed to. She wanted to challenge him and I agreed with her rationale and approach. However, my son’s response to the challenge was that he didn’t want to learn how to swim anymore. While he got what he previously wanted, he became discouraged with the discomfort and additional work required.

Like my son’s experience with his swim lessons, every answered prayer from God (or “yes” from a parent to a child) doesn’t come with a guarantee of comfort or a promise that additional work will not be required. The same is true for someone who prays to be married. If that prayer is granted by God, the marriage still requires continuous work, communication, and compromise for the results to be harmonious. Another example would be God answering a prayer for a baby. If that prayer is granted, it doesn’t take away from the long, exhausting and sleepless nights during the newborn stage that occurs.

The path of an answered prayer might be challenging, but it doesn’t take away from the blessing. My experience of receiving an answered prayer and finding myself frustrated by the unexpected outcome is a reminder that I need to stay in a posture of gratitude. If I sincerely continued to come to the Lord with a grateful heart for my answered prayer, then I could not stay in a negative mindset and heart space about it.

I had to step away from my feelings and remember the FACTS. The main fact is that I needed God beyond His answer to my prayer. Maybe this outcome 6 months later from the answer was still a part of His perfect plan. Maybe the plan was to make it challenging so that I will be just as close to Him as I was when I was longing for His “yes.” I needed Him even more now! Maybe in my past, once I got what I wanted, I showed Him differently (OUCH!). While my feelings made me think that my situation would be permanent, the fact is only God knows the timing of events or life stages. There was a process to me getting to the answer, so there is a process after the answer was provided.

While I am looking forward to potentially sharing my testimony about my journey to my answered prayer, I believe God wanted me to be reminded that while He answers prayers that are in His will for my life, I need to continue to search for His guidance and know that my steps are ordered by Him before and after any prayers are granted.

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This week’s PRAISE is rooted God's faithfulness to us! “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a classic hymn and an all time favorite.

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• Once I receive a desirable answer from God to a prayer, do I continue to seek His guidance and remain just as prayerful concerning the answer that He has provided?

• If I know challenges may still arise from an answered prayer from God, how do I view the answered prayer? Do I still give God praises? Do I see them as still a part of His specifically crafted plans for my life?

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This” Apply” is focused on staying in gratitude to God and also remembering to continue to seek His guidance in all situations.

• Discuss with your children the importance of being grateful for all answers received from God.

  • Ask them to share a time when they received a gift they requested from someone (even you) and once they started playing with it, it wasn't as cool as they thought it would be or required additional time to understand how to use the toy/whatever the gift included.

  • Explain how important it is to still be thankful for the gift provided and not all things including gifts will be easy and might require reading the instructions a few times. This would also include gifts (answers) from God. There is no one else better to provide guidance than the ultimate Maker and Provider. We can also consider His Word, as our instruction manual.

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Dear God,

Thank You for today and for the new mercies You provide each day. God we know You understand that with us being human, there are alot of things we don’t understand about the steps You strategically order for our lives. But yet still, we want to come to You with a simple “Thank You.” Thank You for the prayers that You have answered, the prayers where we are still seeking Your guidance, and the ones where Your answer, Your final say may not be what we hoped for but yet, still- Thank You. God, please forgive us for times when we might have strayed away from You once You have provided Your answer. Please help our desire to be close to You remain strong and allow our fire to burn just as bright as it did while we were still in the waiting period of receiving Your answer to our prayer. Lastly, we thank You for your faithfulness to us, grace, and enduring patience with us.

In Your Son’s name we pray,

AMEN