Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Unanswered Prayers

Luke 7:1-10
[Jesus said], “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Luke 7:9)
An explanation we often hear for “unanswered” prayers is that we don’t have enough faith. But Jesus said in Luke 17:6 that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can command a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea and it will obey us. In other words, the effectiveness of our prayers depends not on how much faith we have but on whether we even have faith.
Luke tells of a Roman centurion with “great faith” (7:9). His faith was expressed first as an appeal to Jesus to heal his dying servant. Then it was expressed as an acknowledgment that Jesus could heal his servant anytime, anywhere. The centurion did not ask Jesus to do things his way.
Faith has been described as “trusting God’s heart and trusting God’s power.” Some prayers that seem to go unanswered are simply instances in which God has lovingly overruled our wishes. He knows that what we have asked for is not best. Or it may be that our timing is not His timing, or He has some far greater purpose in mind. Let us remember, even Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father, “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours” (Luke 22:42).
Do we have the centurion’s great faith—a faith that trusts God to do His work, in His way?
PRAYER
Dear Lord unanswered prayers are answered still as part of Your great master plan; they help to carry out Your will to demonstrate Your love for us. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God’s answers are wiser than our prayers.
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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