“God won’t answer 100 percent of the prayers we don’t pray.”

A thought by Mark Batterson (2014-09-02) from his book, The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible (p. 94). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Have you ever thought about the fact that one of the main ways that we can limit God working in our lives is by our not asking Him too?  Too many times when we have a problem and we are doing all we can to solve except we don’t stop to pray about it.  That shouldn’t be our last resort that should be our first.

We really don’t realize the power of our relationship with God and the real difference it can make in our daily life.  Do you connect with God on a daily basis?  When my kids were in school I would pray for God’s protection each and every day.  I still do.  I live in Pasadena, California, Brett lives in Studio City, California and Stef lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.  I still pray for God’s protection on their lives every day and for Andrew, Marissa, Ashlyn, Addison and Harper.  I pray for them every day. Right after I read my Psalm and my paragraph from the New Testament I pray for them and for Margaret and for me and God’s protection and wisdom in our lives.  I never have understood how parents who say they love God and love their kids could start their day and not pray for them.

But you say that God hasn’t answered my prayers.  How do you know if you don’t pray?  As Mark says, “God won’t answer 100 percent of the prayers we don’t pray.” 

I like also two others things that Mark says.  One is, “Our prayers don’t have expiration dates.”  I like what some have said that God’s clock keeps perfect time.  For many of our prayers it is a timing thing.  God know when it is the best time to answer them and “our prayers don’t have an expiration date.”  As Mark says, “Miracles rarely happen on our time line. And you can’t give God a deadline. But you can trust His timing. He’s never early. He’s never late. He’s right on time, every time.”  But if we don’t ask God can’t even answer no matter when.

And then the other thought, “Sometimes God just wants to see if you’re serious!”  Are you serious about this relationship with God?   Sometimes He puts things into your life to see if you trust Him.  Do you?  Then why don’t you talk to Him? 

There is so much He wants to do in us, for us and through us but we just need to ask. 

He can’t answer if we don’t ask.

So what do you need to ask Him?