5 Ways God Answers Prayer

First things first. If you don't understand this, the 5 ways God answers prayer won't make any difference:

God answers every prayer.

Take a moment and let that sink in. Jeremiah 33:3 tells us, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

There’s not a single prayer that has ever been prayed that God hasn’t answered. You and I may not return a phone call right away or we may not reply to a letter right away, but God never procrastinates, He never has to "think about it", He doesn’t have to consult His calendar and have His people get with our people, He answers prayer.

God loves to answer our prayers, He just doesn’t always answer in the manner we want. But He does answer in one of 5 ways:

1. "No, I love you too much."

The Apostle Paul asked God 3 times to remove the thorn in his flesh, and God’s answer? 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’"

Something we have to understand here is that whenever God says no to us it is in our best interest. He’s not in heaven saying, "You know, that Melody really wants this, and it would be great for her if I were to grant her request, but I’m just not in the mood today." No. He only says "No" when it’s in our best interest. Parents know that it is often better for their child to say no than it is to say yes. Hard? Yes, but necessary.

2. "Yes, but you'll have to wait."

Immediate answers to prayer: You want them. I want them. But God simply does not always work that way. And to get His best, we must be patient. In some cases, we must wait until the stroke of midnight for His answer to come.

Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

3. "Yes, but not what you expected."

Sometimes God works in ways that baffle us. Nowhere in Scripture does it tell us that we're going to understand absolutely everything that ever happens. But we still have to trust God. He'll never let us down.

Proverbs 3:5 & 6 reminds us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

4. "Yes, and here's more!"

Ever wonder if the Lord really knows what you want and need? Of course you have. And so have I. But He does know and what's more, He wants to provide for all of our needs - and often beyond that!

Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us of God’s thoughts. It says, "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

5. "Yes, I thought you'd never ask."

Many people think prayer is complicated. Actually, the simplest prayer can bring you the miracle you need, when you need it. When my family and I moved to Washington we had to find housing. The market was high and it looked like we were going to have to locate in Redmond instead of Bellevue, meaning a minimum commute of one hour each way. I was not crazy about that, so I began to pray for a house closer. I didn't care what it was, I just wanted a closer house.

My wife, on the other hand, began praying for a closer house, with three bedrooms and a family room, a fenced in yard for the kids and the list went on. Within a week we had exactly what she had prayed for!

James 5:16 reminds us, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

So friends, never cease praying. God will answer, at the right time and in the right way!