Comments on: What Do You Do When God Answers Your Prayer?

By: Links on prayer and worship | lingamish

Links on prayer and worship | lingamish — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:39:21 +0000

[...] What Do You Do When God Answers Your Prayer?: Michael Spencer, the Internet Monk is right on about prayer. [...]

By: Lauren Caldwell

Lauren Caldwell — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:46:20 +0000

You wrote, “as surely as thoughtful Christians are aware that many prayers aren’t answered in the way one might hope, our faith resolutely resounds with confidence that God does answer prayer and sometimes does so in ways that are astounding.”

And when astounding things happen, we, in the Church, interpret it in so many ways. Sometimes we see someone suddenly “prospering” and we’re quick to say he is worldly and going off-course- when what might be happening is that God is answering that man’s prayer.
You might even have a best selling book or the fastest growing church- because of answered prayer.
Get ready for things you don’t understand- when you talk about answered prayer.

By: Nicholas Anton

Nicholas Anton — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:16:30 +0000

In Hebrews 11:42-40 and 12:1- we are not only given examples of deliverance, but also of torture and death by faith. However, the author to the Hebrews suggests, though an excellency of faith prevailed in the Old Testament, there is a “more excellent” way through Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
As Luther suggested, those who accept Christ by faith also must live by faith, and THAT faith includes believing everything to be from the hand of a “GOD WHO LOVES, CARES AND GIVES”, “beneficium”.
.
Yes, we are to pray, but in a sense, This God answers even before we ask (Mat 6:8).

By: Juanita

Juanita — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:28:52 +0000

While I was reading these blog on answering prayers. I just relize that I myself is one of the ten leapers. I take God for granted and don’t praise him enough.

By: Dan Smith

Dan Smith — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:27:58 +0000

Michael,
This has prompted me to post a couple of great poems about God’s NO answers:
http://duffrdan.blogspot.com/
Dan

By: Brendt

Brendt — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:22:56 +0000

Patrick, perhaps you’d like to join our Nine Lepers Club. Motto is: “Getting the heck out of this club”

By: caplight

caplight — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:33:38 +0000

Now that I have gone back and re-read this post I am amazed at the incredible number of ways that the psalmists gave their thanks to God. I have almost exclusively used the verbal ways of thanking God when he answers prayer.
We have a friend who is from Guyana. She invited us to a “Thanksgiving”–a meal to celebrate some blessing or blessings of God especially used as thanks for answered prayers, which Christians in Guyana do quite often. We had a liturgy which she prepared with hymns to sing, scriptures to be read and thanks to be shared about God’s goodness. The pastor was even asked to say a few words and to bless the home and family. Then we all shared a meal of Guyanese food and spent the evening together. There was probably about fifteen of us–family, church friends and a neighbor or two. What a profound way to say thanks in actions and not just sa1ying, ‘Thank you Jesus.”

By: Ken

Ken — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:51:36 +0000

What do you do when God answers your prayers?

Freak Out.

By: Patrick Kyle

Patrick Kyle — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 05:05:27 +0000

Unfortunately, I often am numbered with the nine lepers whom Jesus cleansed, but did not return praise to God. Sure, I’ll breathe a quick sigh of thanks, but then return to business as usual. These things ought not be.
Thanks for the post.

By: Kurt McInnis

Kurt McInnis — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:43:59 +0000

K.W.,

I agree. I think writing it down is a great way to remember what God has done in order to remind ourselves. And I can’t help but think about my kids and theirs reading Dad’s old Bible or half-started journals and being strengthened in the faith.

Good post, Michael. Thanks.