When we pray…

Two friends who lived in different parts of the same city went to a nursery and bought the same kind of tree for their backyards. Both of them took care to plant them in their garden. One friend took great care of it. Whenever he looked out if it too sunny, he would earnestly pray for rain. If the sky was overcast, he would immediately pray for sunshine! So, day by day, he prayed for what he thought the tree needed! But the other man after planting his tree said this small prayer! "Lord, I have planted this tree. You know all that this tree will ever need and when it will need them. Please take care of it." After a few months, the first friend had an opportunity to meet the second one at his home. When he went there, he found his tree standing tall, all lush and green. He was amazed for his own tree at home was very puny. He waited to see his friend and asked him what he had done specially for his tree for it to have grown so beautifully. His friend told him that he just planted it, watered it as much as he could and left the rest to God! I heard this story from our Pastor's wife, and it made a lot of sense to me.

Many times, when we pray we tell God not only our problems but also how God can actually solve those problems for us. When I take that route, immediately my husband will caution me! I have the practice of maintaining prayer diaries, and I still have the diaries from 1998! Looking back, I can confidently say that the Lord's provision and protection have been more than I can ask or even imagine. I can see from my diaries how God had answered my prayers in different ways, ways superior to what I had asked for! Many times, the answer has also been ‘No'! Whatever the issue, God's guidance has been the best for me.

My friend, let us take our problems to God and leave them there at His feet. God knows what our future holds, and He will answer us in His time, according to His purpose for our lives for the Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".

Categories: Weekly DevotionalsAuthor: Hephzibah StephenDate: 19th March 2019 Share: newsletterDisplay date: 20th March 2019

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