Essay About How to Receive Answers to Your Prayers
How to Receive Answers to your Prayers
Prayer is like a hands-on job, where you get to learn as you work; there are no official trainings involved. For the dynamic methods of getting acquainted with the heavenly courts, there are about as many trends as there are pray-ers.
Also, whenever we get to discuss about prayer, a lot is often said about what should be done; without considering the ignorant, and sometimes erroneous practices in which we indulge.
For the assurance of getting responses in the affirmative, this article uses a shift of perspective to explain what NOT to do when we pray.
FATHER’S LOVE – a poem
1. The child loud squeal,
And paused my quill.
I sought but why,
He yet on cry.
5. His grub I gave;
He said but nay –
The bottle’s ink,
He’ll love to drink.
9. Before my eyes,
Will you now die?
I’ll rather deign,
Your wail further ensign.
13. As time strolled-blithe,
His wails subside.
With gentle rocking fun,
He had no choice to sleep but run.
ANALYSIS OF “FATHER’S LOVE”
The poem is based on the inordinate affection of men (as expressed through prayer) and the grace of God in pointing us aright as often as we ask amiss.
Line 1: “The child loud squeal”
We, as the children, are attention seekers; we are oft to bid the attention of our heavenly father. And indeed, the calling unto God is not a problem, but rather the intent of the communication.
Prayer is uncontestably imperative; in fact, it is one of the very few things we can never have too much of. As against the popular parlance – “too much of everything is not good”; overeating might be wrong, sleeping for too long might equally be on the bad side, working all day and having no rest might be detrimental, but prayer is an occupation we can engage in at all times and which is never too much.
Line 2: “And paused my quill”
Here is an indication that God is not a wicked Creator; as often as the creature tries to communicate with Him, He gives attention. He always takes time to hear us out, even when our track record does not recommend us as worth hearing; He yet gives us audience.
Did He not in his word tell us to ask, with the promise that he will answer?
Line 3: “I sought but why”
Now we are leaving the big screen and coming behind the scene.
At this point, our Creator tries to vet the implication of the stir. He scrutinizes the request of the creature and considers if it’s in line with His will.
Of a truth, God has promised to answer when we call, but when we do “produce our cause”, it is expected of us to “bring forth (our) strong reasons” – Isaiah 41:21.
Line 4: “He yet on cry”
Yes, many a creature does not find it challenging to realize the importance of prayer but are oblivious of the dynamics thereof. Many see prayer as a mono-directional task, where prayer involves making requests, and the only response expected is the fulfillment of the expressed wish.
Many of us are ignorantly importunate, rather than try to find out what God is telling us in response to our request (yes, no, be patient); we, in turn, choose tautology to prove our zest.
Line 5: “His grub I gave”
Just as every child has a civil entitlement to some benefits from its biological parents, there are likewise some “daily benefits” that God would load His creatures with irrespective of their allegiance, affiliation, or confession (see Psalm 68:18, 19).
When we as creatures start our ungrateful whining, our eyes, which are most often blinded to these benefits, get heavenly illumination to make us realize that all basic needs have been supplied for the fulfillment of His will in our lives.
Line 6: “He said but nay – “
Irrespective of the illumination inferred above, we yet kick and insist that our unbridled hunger be fed. We tend to do this in several ways, but mostly by going after the lust of our hearts through inhumane, illegitimate, or ungodly means.
A person intelligent enough to orchestrate a bank robbery is blind to the fact that the same intellectual insight will come in handy to manage a lawful business (no matter how small) successfully.
Lines 7 – 8:
Most of the time, the very thing we wish our Creator would grant us is lawful and useful for our existence in itself; but our seeking of the same might just be an exhibition of frowardness.
A child crawling towards the father’s inkbottle will have no intelligible thing to do with it than to spill or gulp down its content. However, if this same child would heed pacification for patience, he’ll with time (as he grows older) learn and realize the proper use of the ink and quill.
Lines 9 – 12:
A Yoruba proverb makes us understand that no matter how naughty a child might be, it does not justify its being cast to the lions. If parents (as wicked as some can be) would not do such, how much more the Creator of the whole world.
Just like the scenario above, even when the child (by ignorance) insists on making the den of lions its playground, the parents in their ingenuity and love turn down the plea – Not minding the fact that the child might throw a fit. But farther along will the child understand.
Lines 13 – 16:
If you ever had young siblings/children around you, what I’m about to describe would be a collective experience.
A child asks its parent for something, and the parent turns down the request. The child resorts to tantrums, crouched up on a couch or in a corner – it dozes off to sleep. The implication is: the child cries so much that with time it loses the taste for the same and cannot help but fall asleep.
Likewise, when men make their petition and the response is not as satisfactory or prompt as expected: the prayer is subsequently sent to top gear. With time, undue repetition kicks in, causing weariness in every aspect of worship, and soon the individual can’t help but find himself in the cooler.
Our loving Father can hardly ignore importunate prayer; however, we can hasten a response in the affirmative by praying in-line with God’s will (see Luke 11:5 – 13).
Close
For a moment, try to imagine what the world would become if God granted every human wish, not forgetting the depravity of the same.
God can do all things, but there are some things God won’t do.
