Prayers & Answers

Hopefully, you have been enriched by the series of messages on prayer.  I know I have.  The understanding that any thought that connects us to God is prayer makes prayer more than I have often thought.  It also makes it something I realize God is doing with me rather than something I'm doing to God.  Instead of praying to God we are praying with God.  This facilitates more prayer which in turn enriches our relationship with God.

Today we are going to focus on prayers of petition and intercession.  These are the prayers of asking.  these also represent the greatest range of emotion in our life of prayer.  All of us have experienced the joy of getting that for which we asked.  Many of you could tell prayer stories about fulfilled requests and they would enlarge our faith.  But there is another side to the prayers of asking, it is the requests that are not answered as we would like.  All of us carry pain and disappointment connected to unanswered prayers.  We cannot dismiss it because Love won't dismiss it.  We can't understand it because Love doesn't fully comprehend it.  The best remedy for the pain and disappointment of unanswered prayer is prayer!  Let us consider Prayer & Answers.

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.  Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.  In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

 Psalm 86:5-7