PRAY; BUT LET GOD DECIDE HOW HE WILL ANSWER

As a pastor of a new church, I really prayed and trusted God for increase. As part of the effort to see an increase, I began to step out on visitation. One day, we had five new people visit the church from the same house. I visited them the following week and they all promised they would be in church again the next Sunday. I was overjoyed.

Sunday came, and we were still just a few at the beginning of service. As praise and worship were going on, I would stylistically walk towards the window pretending to dance to check out my “fabulous five”. They did not show up. I was not too excited about it.

After service, I was meeting guests who came for the first time and I asked a man how he got to know about the church. He said, “I was sitting beside a man in the bus to Lagos. He was holding a book written by you. I picked interest and read it all up and I asked if he was your church member. He was not. But I asked him to describe the church to me. I was so blessed that I knew I had to be in church”. He is still in the church today and had brought in others.

The challenge with us as Christians at times is that we pray but we also want to tell God how he should answer us. We want to prescribe the exact mode that he should answer.

For instance, Joseph in prison can keep praying that God should expose Mrs Potiphar’s lies and bring him out of prison. However, God’s plan is that he would meet his link to the palace in the four walls of the prison. He would have thought God was unfair until he eventually could conclude that everything that was meant for evil was actually part of God’s plans.

For instance, we know from the scriptures that seedtime and harvest will not cease but we also understand that we will reap what we sow. It did not say we will reap where we sow but what we sow.

For instance, I did not reap the “famous five” but God brought in someone who was a link to more than five. Say your prayers but leave God with the “How”.

While trusting God, like the answer of Angel Gabriel to Mary, kindly stay in sync with the Spirit of the Lord, let him overwhelm you. Let him overshadow you. Eventually, you will birth the answer but it may not be the way you think it should happen.

You can come to a meeting with expectation but let God decide how He will bring you into an encounter.

Elijah saw the wind but God was not there yet; He came in a mighty rushing wind at the Upper Room.

Elijah saw the earthquake but God was not there yet; He came that way in the prison of Paul and Silas.

Elijah saw the fire but God was not there. Yet God came that way for the three Hebrew boys.

Jesus can touch a blind for his healing yet He can spit on another for his healing. He can tell another, “Your faith has made you whole” and say to one, “Go and wash in the pool of Siloam”. He healed all but the methods were not the same.

God is not a formula.
Say your prayers.
Let Him choose the method.

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa