Unanswered Prayers

I don't know how many times I have prayed for something and have seemed to think they were "unanswered". Although my prayer may have been for God's will or His direction, when the outcome was different than what "I" had expected I was quick to think that God had not answered my prayer. What God has taught me so much about over the past year and a half is that He ALWAYS answers our prayers, the thing is the way in which He answers is not always the way in which we expect. I may think that I know what is the right or best outcome of a situation but do I really? Do I know better than the God of the universe? Haaa...it is almost comical just to think about. Of course I don't! He knows better, He knows BEST. He is working His plan out in our lives, HIS plan, not ours. As Romans 8:28 says He is working ALL things together for the good of those who love Him.

The thing that I guess I often forget is that through all the ways in which He leads, guides, directs, answers prayers etc. is the way in which He sanctifies me. You see God is in the process of molding His kids more and more into the image of His Son and to conform us into that, if that is the goal, if the goal of our lives here on earth is to sanctify us and prepare us for heaven then we shouldn't be surprised when we are pruned and refined, even though there is pain that may come along with that. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 we read, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." This process should be utter joy for us believers because we can TRUST, choose to believe the Truth that He is making us like Jesus to bring glory to His name!

So the next time I think that a prayer went "unanswered" from my finite perspective I must remember there is no such thing!