My prayer for God to stop the rain by the time I arrive to church seemed ludicrous but I was determined not to get myself nor my things wet! In fact, I challenged God! I told Him I would not go to church unless the rain stops! There is a reason why I said that and it is because normally when I arrive to church, the parking lot is full and I always end up walking a football field distance to the front door. It is not a big issue, really it is not. But when rain is involved, and when I lack possession of an umbrella, what is one to do?
Now I do not recommend demanding God for anything, in fact insisting God to answer your prayers, the way you want them answered, shows that you are in control and not God. Now there is a huge difference between "demanding" and "requesting" God to do something; at least for me there is. When I "demand" God to do this or that, I am basically telling Him to do as I want, not what You want. But when I make my "request" known to God, with a strong emphasis of "let it be Your will, not mine" then that's when I see God answer.
Did the rain stop when I approached the church parking lot? No. But oddly enough, I had found an available parking spot not more than twenty feet from the front door of the church. Never, in all my times going to that church, have I ever found an empty spot near by! Unbelievable! In the rain, twenty feet is too large of a gap between me and my shelter of refuge (the church), yet I ventured out of my car and proceeded towards the entrance. Once I reached my destination, I realized right there I was completely dry, and so was my stuff!
Did God answer my prayer exactly the way I wanted? No. But He did answer. Instead of me having to park my truck at a great distance from the building, He provided a parking spot right next to it. He didn't stop the rain, but He did shielded me and my things from getting soaked.
"Answers to prayer depend on God's wisdom and timing, not on us. We shouldn't expect God to answer prayer exactly the way we want. When we were children there were times our parents told us we couldn't have what we wanted. A good parent knows there are times to say No! and God, as the Best Parent, will sometimes say No! or Not yet! God is much wiser than we are. Allow Him to answer in the way He thinks best. And remember, His main concern is our salvation - that's His higher priority." [i]
"Man is erring, and although his petitions are sent up from an honest heart, he does not always ask for the things that are good for himself, or that will glorify God. When this is so, our wise and good Father hears our prayers, and will answer, sometimes immediately; but He gives us the things that are for our best good and His own glory. . . . Nothing hurtful is given, but the blessing we need, in the place of something we asked for that would not be good for us, but to our hurt."[ii]
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[i] Adapted from "The Edge", by Carol Ferch-Johnson and Bruce Manners
[ii] Testimonies, vol. 1, pp. 120, 121 by Ellen G White
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