He answers all prayers perfectly...

i had an interesting conversation with a friend about prayer...seems prayer has been on my mind a lot...

there was a time (now looking back...it makes me laugh...) i would start out by asking for something that i thought i needed...then i would resort to bribing...hinting that it was in His best interest to help me...then...if that failed..i would start bargaining...offering some specific act of obedience or sacrifice that would earn me His blessing...then...in desperation...i would beg...and then...when all else failed...i would throw a tantrum...

this system...i realized...had generated far fewer answers to my prayers than i had hoped for...now i understood that my prayers had been demonstrations of doubt...these ploys were the result of my lack of faith in His willingness to answer me based on the merits of my needs alone...i doubted that He was fair or even able...and i wasn't even sure if He was listening to me...all these doubts created a barrier between me and God...

what i know now...and understand...is that God not only hears our prayers...but He knows our needs well before we do...what i believe about God is that He has a vantage point we can never perceive...He sees into our eternal pasts and futures and knows our eternal needs...in His great love He answers prayers according to this eternal and omniscient perspective...

He answers all prayers perfectly...
hmmm...let me say that again...
He answers all prayers perfectly...

i also understand the importance of thanking God for the things we receive...gratitude is an eternal virtue...in humility we ask...and in gratitude we should receive...the more we thank God for the blessings we receive...the more we open the way for further blessings...His desire is to bless us full to overflowing...if we open our hearts and minds to receive His blessings...we too will be filled to overflowing...we will know that He lives...