The Beauty and Mystery of Prayer
Prayer is a beautiful and mysterious gift God has given us. There are times we can actually see how God answers our prayer and experience living in a world that has been transformed by the lifting of our hearts and our voices to the Father in Heaven. You see a need for God’s intervention and you ask for Him to step in as only He can. And He does. The need is fulfilled. Things are made right again. We celebrate and give thanks for God working on our behalf and answering our prayers. It’s a beautiful thing to have the curtain pulled back, get a glimpse into the unseen world, and tangibly see the power and grandeur of God’s goodness at work in our lives.
The Mystery of the Unknown
Then there are those times where our visibility is obscured. It’s not quite as easy to see what God is up to or how He is responding to our earnest petitions. We don’t have the obvious, immediate answer we have been asking, even pleading for. And yet these are the kinds of prayers that can radically grow our faith, if we trust in the all-knowingness and goodness of God. We choose to believe that there is more going on than we can see and that God, in His perfect timing and His perfect will, will answer our prayers in a way that brings Him glory and honor, despite the perceived lack of our requested outcome. This is a great mystery and reminds us that we are not God.
A Reminder
As men praying for our families, falling on our knees on behalf of our children and our wives, we long to experience those transcendent moments where we see our prayers powerfully answered. And when those moments do happen, it’s crucial to share them with a community of men to create an Ebenezer—a reminder of how God has helped us thus far. These will be an anchor for you during those times when your prayers don't seem to be answered or heard.
When you find yourself in that mysterious place of not knowing how God is going to meet you in your time of need, remember how he has worked in your life or the lives of those you are close to. Let them be a memorial that fuels your faith and trust in a Father who loves and cares for you more than you’ll ever know. You may not always see the answer, but you can rest assured that our God is always working things out for our good and for His Glory.
Phil Davis is Director of Ministry Impact for Collide Media Group, as well as a speaker and writer on issues of small groups, fatherhood, single parenting, and men. Phil has spoken at men's and pastors conferences throughout the United States and internationally. Most importantly, he is the proud father of two grown children, Cooper and Morgan. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilBDavis.
