Monday, November 21, 2022

11-21-2022 Devotion: No

 Today, we conclude our devotional looking at Philippians 4: 6: ""Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Now perhaps you are thinking, but maybe God won’t answer my prayer. I have many unanswered prayers. Friend, I do not believe that you have unanswered prayers, and I think you ought to rethink saying that statement. You may have prayed for a certain thing and didn’t get it, but you did get an answer to your prayer, the answer was just "No."  Let me illustrate this with a very personal illustration. My dad was a good dad, but he wasn't very religious. After World War II, he worked at the Naval Air Station. Every day around 4pm, I would see him get off the bus and begin walking down our street toward our home. It was about 150 yards. I would run to meet him and he would give me a small treat or piece of candy. On a few occasions, I would ask him for something else and sometimes he said, "No."  One time I asked him for something and he said he couldn’t afford it, and the answer was “No.” I can tell you today that I never made a request to him that he didn’t hear and answer. Sometimes the answer was no. I have learned now that the wise reply to most of my requests was no, although I did not think so at the time. But the fact is that he gave an answer to my every request. God has a lot of spoiled children. When He says "no" to them, they pout and say, “I have unanswered prayers.” You don’t have unanswered prayers. God always hears and answers your prayers. We are to express thanksgivings even when He tells us no. We are to be open and honest in our prayers and rejoice with the "yes" and the "no." Don't be a spoiled child, be a blessed one.

No comments:

Post a Comment