God answers prayer

Yes, Our Heavenly Father always hears our prayers. He sometimes answers them with a yes. The more we align our lives with His will, the more yes answers we'll get. That is a worthy goal for us flesh tethered folk here on Earth. But, often enough our desires are in His will.

It seems that God answers my prayers in a most obvious way when I reach a point of hopelessness. He can see that I am unable to accomplish a thing on my own, but He knows I must see that. When I reach that place where I am humble enough to let Him have the entire problem, willing to accept whatever He feels I need, that is when He allows me to see how He answers my prayer.

Recently I have been slothful in my duties as mother, teacher, homemaker, family accountant, and all the other jobs I have. It really all hinges on my waking early enough to get some things done before beginning our school day. It is just as much about bad habits, and that feeling of lostness I often get in the afternoon that causes me to miss opportunities to do important tasks.

Of course, I pray about these problems all the time, wondering what do I need to do. Finally I admitted to my God that I don't know what to do, and I give up trying. I asked Him to make me get up early and do my jobs. Then I backpedalled; saying He didn't need to make me (I was imagining Him allowing some terrible think to happen that would require me to do everything and more!) but I admitted failure, and the absolute need for Him.

One or two days later, He confronts me. He uses my husband to point out my faults. Andy is very tactful, and I accept the constructive criticism with some hurt feelings, but unable to deny that he's right. I acknowledge his feelings in the matter, and let him know that he has every right to feel that way. He tells me that if I could be fired for not doing these jobs, I would work harder at them. He was right on. He told me the same things I have been telling myself for months. Why did it have to come from his mouth? Why couldn't I take it to heart from my own chastising thought. Maybe my husband is more loving about my faults than I am. I am certainly my worst critic, and can make myself feel very bad about my mistakes. Andy can recognise them without making me feel so hopeless.

I had to let Andy know that God had used him to answer my prayers. God knew that my love for, and desire to please my husband was a source of powerful motivation for me. He knew how to meet my needs when I could not.

In Isaiah 55:8 & 9 the Lord tells us, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," He also says "For {as} the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts."

Of course, if His ways and thoughts can be compared to a universe with outermost parts we cannot even see with our most powerful telescopes. And our ways are compared with the small spec of dust we live on. No wonder He is able to clearly see how to meet our needs. We need only to be willing to accept whatever He chooses for us. Why is it so hard to trust the Creator of the Universe who died for our freedom? It must be this flesh that keeps us bound to the Earth and sin. Freedom is Christ if we let Him be.