Do You Wish God Still Wrote On Walls?

Do you have a big prayer concern?
Have you prayed and prayed and there has been
no answer or healing or breakthrough.

Don’t you wish God would just
write the answer on your wall?

Be careful what you wish for!

I dare say that if God’s hand appeared,
we’d still question and fuss
if not fall over in fear!

It is true.
We’d love to know what to do to stay in God’s will and experience his best for us.
So many of our questions are not specifically addressed in the Bible.
Is it God’s best for you to be married or single?
Is it God’s best for you to stay at your job or start your own biz?
Is it God’s best for your child to go to private or public school?
Is it God’s best for you serve in this ministry or that one?

Aside from writing on the wall,
how do you know when and how God answers your prayers?

Do you even believe he does?

You’ve seen it in the lives of others,
but in the back of your mind, there is a little voice assuring you that God is too busy or unconcerned with you to address your big questions and needs.

I’m not sure why it’s so easy to believe
lies about why God wouldn’t answer our prayers,
but we do, don’t we?

We believe God is in the business of answering prayers
and does for everyone else.
But, not us!

Why do we think that way?

Is it that we don’t deserve it?
Or that God loves us less than others?
Maybe if he gives to others, there’s less for us?

Of course not!

How do we get so firmly entrenched in the
lies and accusations and reasons why
we are ineligible for God’s gifts and grace
that our trust erodes?

Now it’s true that if you have some huge sin in your life,
it might be an obstacle to hearing from God.
But, that’s likely on you.
God doesn’t distance himself from us.
Our shame and guilt keeps us from approaching him.

There is a solution for that, of course.
Confess the junk specifically.
Repent of the actions.
Ask for forgiveness.
Approach the throne with a clean slate.

God is in the business of answering prayers.

Want to know how you know when it’s God?
Spend enough time with him to know his voice.
Read his book enough to recognize his patterns and his character.
When in doubt, test the direction against his Word, his character, and with his trusted advisors.
A Bible teacher, pastor, or trusted Godly friend.

Traditionally, preachers say
God answers prayers in
three ways.
Yes.
No.
Wait.

I’d like to suggest one more.

I believe one of the ways
God answers prayer is to say
You go first.

He told Joshua,
“Step into the Jordan River, before I stop the waters.”
Joshua 3

He told Peter,
“Cast your net on the other side of the boat and you will catch fish.”
Luke 5

I believe that God wants you and I to step into partnership with him.
Let’s face it, there is nothing God can’t do on his own.

He brings us into the process so our faith will be fortified.
Lies will be eradicated.
We will experience His pleasure
as we help to drag a glimmer
of heaven to earth.
Matt. 6:10

Be sure that even if you don’t see handwriting on the wall,
God is listening for your prayers and arranging the perfect way and time to answer you.

When you pray, listen for his response.
Get familiar with is character by reading his Word.
Trust that he is listening and will answer you.

Sometimes the answer is yes.
Sometimes the answer is no.
Sometimes the answer is not yet.
And, sometimes, the answer is, you go first.

What was the last thing he told you to do?

Father in Heaven, we know there is nothing you cannot do. We say out loud that you are the God of the impossible! Yet, we falter in our faith that you will answer our prayers. Speak clearly to us. Remind us of your great love and compassion for us. Make us brave to follow you and what you say for a good outcome. In Jesus Name, Amen.