Recognizing Answered Prayers

“And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”    —Mark 2:5

Richard Blackaby tells a story of a time in college when God answered his prayer almost immediately, but he did not recognize the answer when it came. Blackaby was experiencing an exceptionally moving devotional time meditating on the suffering servant passage of Isaiah 53. As he read about the rejection, anguish, and obedience of the servant, he was stirred to pray, “Lord, I want to be that kind of a disciple. I will be your suffering servant, today. If you have a difficult task, a hard to reach person, I’m your man.”

As Blackaby continued communing with the Lord, the phone rang. His roommate answered and spoke with a college acquaintance that wanted to come over and hang out for the evening. This person was a complete social misfit. He found himself severely challenged in social settings and had few friends. One time, trying to fit in and join a conversation, he blurted out, “I haven’t brushed my teeth in two weeks.” As the roommate conveyed the request, Blackaby told him how busy he was and what a wonderful devotional time he was having with the Lord. He asked him to make excuse for him. With a wink of the eye, the roommate conveyed his regrets.

Back to praying, Blackaby asked the Lord, “Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted? Oh yes, I was telling you, Lord, if you have a difficult assignment, a hard to reach person, You can call on me. I want to be a suffering servant kind of disciple.” When we pray, it is important that we make the connection between our prayers and what happens next. God may answer our prayers immediately in exactly the way we prayed. At other times, God may answer our prayers in a higher, more glorious fashion. We must practice spiritual concentration to recognize God’s answers.

Sometimes we pray for one thing and receive another. On occasion, the Lord may appear to be busy or “out of town” as His answers are delayed. In these cases, God may be trying to provoke us to persist in prayer. We must keep praying until we receive what we are asking for or something better. Mark 2 tells of the account of four men who brought their crippled friend to Jesus to be healed. Because of the large crowd, they opened a hole in the roof of the house and let the man down in front of Jesus. Their prayer must have been, “Lord, please heal our friend.” Jesus did not immediately answer that prayer but said, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5).

In this passage, we discover a wonderful truth. The four men asked for one thing, and Jesus gave them another! They prayed for physical healing, but Jesus wanted to make the man a child of God for all eternity so he could inherit everything! I remember a minister friend of mine, Rev. Jay Christner, saying, “God always gives us what we ask for or something better.” The challenge is to watch carefully in order to recognize the answers to our prayer when they come.

If you have been earnestly praying for a specific need, make the connection between your prayers and what happens next. If God does not seem to be answering your prayer as you expect, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the answers the Lord is sending. God may want you to persist in prayer. The timing may not be right. God may be developing your character. God may also be giving you something better. Whatever the situation, may the Holy Spiritual give you spiritual insight to recognize answered prayers.