Thoughts for Another Day

June 3, 2011

Today's verse: Is. 33:2. O LORD have pity on us, for You we wait.  Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of trouble! (NAB – copyright acknowledged)

(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)                                                                                    

If you've wondered what kind of prayer works before God, think of the prayers Jesus looked at: the payer of the tax collector as compared to the Pharisee.  The tax collector in awe stood there and just said, 'O God, be merciful unto me.'  A simple, yet wonderful prayer of one who considered himself totally unworthy in the presence of a Holy God.  Jesus granted justification to him.  At another time when Jesus was on the Cross, the 'good' thief prayed saying, 'Lord remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.' A prayer of simplicity and total humility and Jesus, looking at him despite His own pain said, 'Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.' 

God will never fail to answer this kind of prayer.  I've seen many times in my own life how He has helped me when I cried to Him, praying the way as is in our above Scripture.  It's taken time sometimes and I don't know why for I always tell Jesus, Lord, in Your day on earth You never took time to grant prayers, why then do we experience so much delay.  The answer for this is yet to come but in the meanwhile, God has answered so many of my prayers.

There're basic principles of prayer which stand in good stead before God.  One is, we must believe He exists; the letter to the Hebrews says, 'he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.' Heb. 11:6.  If you do as told, then you're half-way done.  The next is humility.  This comes automatically to those who know God to be awesome.  Pray my friend with the grinding of your heart in utter discomfort and sheer perseverance.  God will hear from heaven and grant your prayer.  It may take a while but the answer will come.  Today, as I write I think of the difficult stage of life I'm going through.  Yet, my face is fixed on Jesus and I tell Him, 'Lord whom shall I go to, You alone have the answer to my need.'