Answers to Prayer

In the past 5 days God has poured out at least 5 specific answers to prayer. These prayers I had been praying had ranged in genre and importance (at least according to human standards), but I have seen God answer them in His perfect fashion. Isn't it fascinating how he always knows the exact moment to answer those prayers: I will admit that many times it feels "late", but when I look back I see the perfect timing and wonderful lesson in faith that He was driving into my thick skull. But there are other lessons to be learned, and this week one in particular stuck out.

We had been faced with a particularly stressful situation and we weren't quite sure what the outcome would be. Several hours were spent between worry, and prayer, and worry, and prayer (does anyone else tend to have this pattern also?); and then the prayer was answered! The shocking thing for me was not that this prayer was answered (God can accomplish anything) but how this prayer was answered. The answer didn't have anything to do with what I had done (even though there were ways I could have done something). It was completely outside of my control, and was probably the most humbling answer to prayer that I have ever felt. And so the testing came to see the attitude with which I accepted this answer to prayer. But what attitude can I have except to fall on my face and praise God from whom all blessing flow. Who am I to tell Him how to answer prayers? I have often heard it said, "God owns the cattle on a thousand hills; He can slaughter one when he wants to." But to add to that. He can also serve it up the way he wants to.