Voices of the Past
Historical Romance Author
When Prayers Aren’t Answered the Way You Expected
Monday, April 18, 2022 by Sherry Shindelar
God answers our prayers. But the answers aren’t always what we hope for or expect. Sometimes the answer is so quiet that we miss it. Other times, the Lord wows us with an answer that is beyond what we’d imagine possible.
On Easter Sunday, I was reminded of this when our pastor preached on John 11 where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
Martha and Mary’s brother was gravely ill. They sent for Jesus. He was a close family friend. They believed he was the Messiah. They prayed he would come quickly and heal their brother.
He didn’t. Despite the urgency of their plea, he delayed two days, when any minute could mean life or death. And it was a four day walk at a brisk pace, over 100 miles away.
When Jesus did decide to travel to Bethany, his disciples tried to talk him out of it. The Jews in Judea had attempted to stone him the last time he was there. But he went, and the disciples followed.
Martha and Mary had given up hope. Lazarus had been dead for four days, and they were in mourning. “Lord, if only you’d been here…” Those were their words. Their prayers had been answered with a ‘no.’
Or so they thought.
Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” To the crowd, he said, “Take away the stone,” and then in a loud voice, he called out, “Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man, made alive again, walked out of the tomb. Jesus restored their brother to them.
Their prayers had been answered. Exceedingly abundantly above anything they could have asked or imagined. In God’s timing.
The delay opened the doors for Mary and Martha, the disciples, the gathered Jews, and to all who have since heard the account to witness the power of the Lord over life and death and to know that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, the Messiah.
Not every answer to prayer is a ‘yes.’ sometimes, we might not understand the ‘why’ this side of eternity. But we can “know that in all things God works for the good for those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.
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