At times all believers find it difficult to pray to God. Yet He has said that we may come boldly to Him and freely ask for those things that are in accordance with His Word. We should never tell the Lord how to answer our prayers, however. He knows our needs, and His answers are often better than what we could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
An incident in the life of Bible teacher James H. McConkey illustrates this point. One summer while on vacation, he took a sailboat out on one of the Great Lakes. Soon the wind died, stranding him far from shore. As the hot rays of the August beat down on him, he began to pray earnestly for a breeze so he could maneuver the craft back the land. And hour passed, but no wind came. Helpless, he drifted farther and farther from the shore. Finally, he spotted a boat coming toward him. An old fisherman, realizing his plight, had come to tow him back to the dock. McConkey said this incident taught him a lesson about prayer. While his exact request had been denied, God had provided the needed deliverance in another way. The fisherman could chart a better course back to shore than McConkey could have done if the wind had returned. He was familiar with the lake and knew how to avoid the dangerous shallows.
How encouraging it is to know that the Holy Spirit interprets our requests and conforms them to God’s perfect will! He knows the desires of our hearts, and He responds to our weak and sometimes shortsighted petitions with an answer that is always best for us. – Henry G. Bosch
I leave my prayers with Him alone
Whose will is wiser than my own,
Assured that He will grant my quest
Or send some answer far more blest. – Hickok
God’s answers are wiser than our prayers.
- August 14, 1985, Our Daily Bread
For You 