God Answers All of Our Prayers in Small Ways.

Romans 5:3-4
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

I'm going to spend the day wrapping up what we've been talking about so far this week. We've learned that God responds differently to each of our prayers, but the general consensus is: "yes," "yes, but wait," or "no."

Of course I'm not God, so I can't really say why God says what he says at certain times. The only thing that sounds reasonable enough is that God knows everything about you. He wants to make our life meaningful, not painful. We think it's painful though. However, sometimes the answer to our prayer is negative. It's that way because, believe it or not, it is best for us in God's eyes.

A good example is when a young child begs for food a few minutes before dinner. Parents most often say "no" because it's not the right time for that. After all, you won't have enough room for dinner. Think of God as our parent. He is a wise man. The ways in which we think are beneficial, may not really be so.

Finally, God may use your problems to bless the socks off others. If you keep up with your faith in such a time, that's what people will see and they will be encouraged by that. Your problems, directly and indirectly, believe it or not, can actually introduce people to the Lord. Then they undergo something outstanding and it's like a domino effect.

Remember what strengthens your faith. Answered prayers aren't necessarily the way we gain perseverance and a strong deal of faith. It takes faith to believe that God is doing what's best for you all around. That's what strengthens your faith.

The bottom line is that God answers our prayers even if it's in small ways. In fact, it may be small to us, but grand and full of treasure to others. I remember Pastor Renee at my church preaching about this about two or three years ago. It's funny how certain messages stick with you for a long time.