God DOES Answer Prayer // John 14:13

By Mark Jordan | Spiritual Advisor

We made it through the first week of 2024! How are you doing so far? This week we looked at SMART goal-setting and how we need to ensure our goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. We started by looking at a verse on prayer and I want to close this week similarly.

Jesus said in today’s verse that God answers prayers when we ask in His name. Of course this means we must ensure we are praying according to God’s will, word, and way; otherwise, our prayers might not be worth asking, let alone answering. Even still, the answers might not come exactly when, or as, we expect. Pastor Rick Warren once wrote about four ways God can answer prayer. They really speak to me, and I think it’s a good idea to share them with you here:

1. No: the request isn’t right for you;

2. Grow: you need to grow more before you’re ready;

3: Slow: it’s appropriate to begin, but it will take time and energy to get where you want to be;

4. Go: the time is right, so get after it!

Let’s face it, we almost always want God to answer, “GO!”, when we pray, but it seems to me the other three answers are potentially more likely. We never know the full story, so there are times we need to hear, “no.” We often want to go faster than we should when we are on the right track, so God may very well say, “yes,” but we need more time to grow into the potential He sees in us. We may be ready, but others might not yet be, so going slow helps God work in the lives of others so we all end up where and when we need to be at just the right time. Then, of course, when the answer is, “go,” we best not dilly-dally or procrastinate since God is counting on us. Make sure you are counting on God.

So, think about the things for which you pray. Get, and stay, in God’s will by studying God’s word and committing to go God’s way. You will find when you do that that He does answer prayers, but perhaps first He wants to mold and shape the things for which you pray.