Looking back on answered prayers is a beautiful thing to do.
Looking back on answered prayers is a beautiful thing to do. My sister and I talked about all the prayers we have seen throughout our lives. Looking back on answered prayers, we are reminded of God's goodness and the truth that God does answer prayers. It is important to remember that God will answer prayers in one of three ways. He may answer yes, no, or wait. When we are aware of these different answers, it helps us to see more clearly how our prayers have been answered.
Prayers of Pain
"There's this dream I've had 'bout mom and dad
Makes me so sad, I wake up crying
Can't believe I'll have to live through that
Wish it wasn't mandatory dying" ("Love Is Pain," FINNEAS).
Upon looking back at answered prayers, I am reminded of my mom being in the hospital. I prayed constantly for her to get better, although the prospects of her coming home looked slim. Despite the apparent obstacles, I kept praying to God and asking Him to heal her. I remember praying, "Lord, please help my mom to get well. Please heal her so she can come home." This prayer was a prayer I said often, and while it wasn't answered with a yes, it was answered.
In a way, God did answer my prayer. Did He heal my mom? Not in this life but in the life to come. By her passing away, my mom was freed of her heart problems and the pain she had been struggling with for years. No more chest pains, back pains, or heart arrhythmias. She was finally freed of her pain. It's taken me a long time to see this, yet it can be hard at times to see what God has done or how He answered prayers until years later. In other words, God healed my mom and took her to her forever home.
God never intended for us to die. In fact, He created us to live forever. It was not until the fall of mankind that sin entered the world, and because sin entered the world, mankind is now subject to dying. We all are born into the world, yet everyone dies. None of us can escape this faith as we will all die one day, including our loved ones. As was the case with seeing my mom die, you too will have to see loved ones die, which is painful. Despite our prayers and our earnest cry for them to be healed, sometimes God answers our prayers unexpectedly. God might answer your prayer in truly freeing your loved one from pain and taking them to be home with Him forever.
Prayers Of Illnesses
My sister was talking the other day about how God answered her prayer that I would become aware of my eating disorder and start recovering. She admitted later she had been praying for years for me to get better, but it wasn't until I hit rock bottom and had to go to the doctor that I became aware of how severe my illness had become. My sister kept praying even though she saw no signs of me getting better, but she never gave up. Her prayer was answered with a yes through petition and continual trust in the Lord.
A few years ago, I decided to enter recovery, and it has been difficult, to say the least. Despite the hardship, pain, and endless tears that come with recovery, my sister still continues to pray for me to keep on in the recovery process. Maybe you can relate to this too. Your sibling, friend, or family member might have an illness, and you are praying that they will start seeking help for their issue. Keep on praying for them, and allow this answered prayer to encourage you. None of us are without hope because we serve a living God who loves us and sees every tear we cry.
Prayers of Hope
Another prayer to look back on is a prayer of hope that I've been praying for quite some time. I struggle with depression, and having the energy or motivation to do anything is often hard. I feel everything is hopeless, and things will only get worse. I've talked with a friend about this on many occasions, and they have been kind enough to stand by my side even when I'm too depressed to speak. Rather than condemning me or judging me for lacking hope for the future, my friend reminded me that there is hope because you can create your future and choose your path.
I had been praying for hope for years, and for the first time, I actually felt hopeful for my future. We need to hold onto hope because it can slip away easily. We can hold onto hope because Jesus is the Anchor of our soul (Hebrews 6:19). Through our hope in the Lord, we don't need to feel hopeless. Our future is filled with light, joy, and love. It can be hard to believe these things sometimes; however, we can always rest assured in our hope in the Lord.
Looking Back At Your Answered Prayers
I challenge you to step back and look at your prayers answered. Reminding yourself of prayers God has answered in the past will help you be encouraged in the future. Maybe you are going through a season where it seems as though no prayers are answered. Try to keep a journal and jot down each prayer. Be specific in your prayer because, in this way, it will be easier to see when a prayer is answered.
You can go back to this journal occasionally and see which prayers have been answered and in what way. This can give you great encouragement and hope as you go about your day. If you have found that not many of your prayers have been answered with a yes, try to see what good things resulted from God answering the prayer with a no or a wait. You might find this was a better answer to your prayer rather than just answering your prayer with a yes.
God always knows best, and this means we can trust Him. If He answers our prayer with a yes, no, or wait, we know this is how the prayer should be answered. While it is normal to feel disappointed when your prayer is answered with a no, realize that God knows the bigger picture. You can always trust God and rely on Him to answer prayers how He decides.
Never allow your heart to lose hope because God hears all of your prayers, and He answers all of them in accordance with His will. Turn to Him today and pour your heart out to Him. Tell Him your prayers and what you need. He never thinks any of your prayers are pointless or hopeless. He loves to hear from you, and He will answer each of them in His timing and in His own unique way.
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