The Path of Our Prayers

by Rev. Robin Arnold

 ²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

~Romans 8:20-28 New King James Version (NKJV)

 

As a Christian, I pray. Recently, somewhere in my fervent prayer life I missed the mark. Not an easy statement to make, but prayer is so important, so vital and so necessary to, for and in our lives that it behooves us to understand why we pray, how to pray and how to discern God’s answers, because He always answers.

 

I am a mother of four children whom I love more than my own life and although their ages range from their mid twenties to their early thirties, when I look at them, I see the face I saw on the day they entered the world.

 

Recently, one of my daughters was in the process of making some life changing choices and as her mother, I prayed for her to be “delivered” from her situation into a better, more prosperous, safer, kinder and happier environment. I spent hours on my knees at night, it was the first prayer I said when my eyes opened and I found myself uttering prayers at traffic lights, standing in line in stores and while washing the dishes. They were heart-felt, honest, humble, gut wrenching, self-exposing prayers. I shared with my daughter that I wanted the best for her and I did not want her to make the same mistakes I had made in my lifetime. We cried together; we laughed together and we prayed.

 

Then the day came when I received “the” call!

 

She was going to move. Start over. Take a chance. I literally fell to my knees crying and thanked God. After a trip to the state she was planning on moving to, registering her son for school and making other arrangements everything was in place and I was overjoyed!

 

Then, “the” call came.

 

She had decided not to relocate, I tried to convince her otherwise but she had made up her mind. I felt empty and in all honesty, after crying, pleading, asking God to show me where I went wrong and begging for forgiveness; I made a request of God that I had never made before…I asked God to take away whatever He wanted or had to take away from my life to make my daughter change direction from the path she was currently taking. I was and am willing to give up anything for my children’s happiness. I continued to pray, although sometimes I did not know what to pray for, so I just lifted my hands and uttered…“Your will be done”.

 

Then last Sunday, my daughter who had not been to church in over a year, her son, my other grandson and my daughter’s boyfriend walked into the sanctuary…

 

I turned to wave them to where I was sitting and IT hit me! IT hit me like manna from heaven! A sweet, sweet sound. The whisper of God’s voice. He said,

 

“Look at your daughter. I have protected and carried her, her entire life and I promise I will not allow her to fall without getting up again. She is covered”.

 

It was at that moment that I realized that even though my prayers were sincere, I had been praying a selfish prayer. I had been lifting up prayers to make me feel better. I was lifting up prayers because of the choices I had made in my past. I was lifting up prayers with an element of control, when I should have been praying for God’s will to be done!

 

Garth Brooks sings a song titled Unanswered Prayers the chorus of the song says:

“Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers

Remember when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs

That just because He doesn’t answer doesn’t mean He don’t care

Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

With the guidance and protection of God, my daughter is walking her life path, and because I did not hand it over to God, I was sending prayers down the wrong path, when I should have been covering my daughter. It is by the graces and mercy of a loving God that my daughter has been and will always be covered and that the path of my prayers have been redirected. Pray with patience, wisdom and discernment that your prayers may travel the right path.

 

Faith in Action:

Release a detailed prayer you have been praying to God, that His will be done.

 

Prayer:

God, Your will be done. In Jesus name I pray ~Amen

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Huntsville, Our City On A Hill, prayer, rev. robin arnold, Soul Food