Daily Manna
(Pastor's Page)
We’re all familiar with Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” which is chronicled in II Corinthians 12. The apostle prayed three times that it might be removed. However, the request was not granted in the exact manner in which he presented it. The answer came in the form of assurance that the Lord would give sufficient grace to support him in his trial. This is one of several instances in the Word of God where the provision of substantial grace was substituted for the requested remedy in the petitioner’s prayer. This serves as scriptural evidence that we should not be disheartened nor dismayed if our prayers are not answered exactly as we have designed. David prayed earnestly for the life of the firstborn son conceived on that fateful night with Bathsheba… to no avail. Our Savior’s cup of suffering, so earnestly entreated to be taken away as He prayed in Gethsemane, was not removed. Howbeit, there was abundant grace which sustained Christ on Calvary’s cross until the moment He cried out, “It is finished.” So it is that in a multitude of cases, Christians pray in faith for the removal of adversity and the situation isn’t eradicated; we petition for a specific desire concerning our welfare and it is withheld. Let’s consider these alternatives when prayer seems to go unanswered:
1. The grace which will be imparted to endure our struggles will be of greater value in the development of a more mature faith and trust in the sufficiency of God.
2. God’s omniscience might have knowledge that the answer to our fervent prayer might be the source of greater consternation and grief in times to come.
3. Our loving Heavenly Father has a more blessed objective in store for us in the future than our immediate answer. He alone knows His plan for our tomorrows and the path He has chosen for our lives.
4. Our Lord may realize that the continuous supply of responses which coincide with our prayers might cause us to become proud, overly expectant, self-confident and put our trust in prayer more than in the Provider. We might ultimately use prayer as a means of fulfilling worldly desires, and wind up entering into our ‘prayer closet’ in the same manner as we visit the local grocery store with a list of items we need to carry us over for a few days.
Week's Verse: "... your Father knoweth what things ye (truly) have need of, before ye ask him." Matthew 6:8b parentheses mine
