~ Do You Understand God’s 4 Answers
to Your Prayers? ~
Over my
years as a Christian I have found the following summary of answers to prayer to
be helpful. The original source of the four terms is unknown.
answer #1:
“SLOW” ~ Your
heart is okay and the request is okay but the
timing is not right. Have patience because God will grant your request at
the proper time.
answer #2:
“GROW” ~ The timing is okay and the request is okay
but your condition is not right. You
need to work on your spiritual character before God will grant that particular
request.
answer #3:
“NO” ~ The
problem with your request is that the
request is not acceptable to God. In this case neither the timing nor you
are factors.
answer #4:
“GO” ~ Your
condition is good. The request is good. The timing is good. Therefore God grants
your request.
In chart
form these four answers to prayer look like this.
|
Four
Answers to Prayer
|
||||
|
|
The
Timing
|
Your Condition
|
The Request
|
God’s
Answer
|
|
1
|
Not right
|
Okay
|
Okay
|
“Slow”
|
|
2
|
Okay
|
Not right
|
Okay
|
“Grow”
|
|
3
|
Okay
|
Okay
|
Not right
|
“No”
|
|
4
|
Okay
|
Okay
|
Okay
|
“Go”
|
All four
responses are “answers to prayer” including when God says “no.” Prayer is not a
method for changing God’s mind but rather a way to take hold of God’s
willingness to work all things for good on your behalf. “And we know that all things work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE
NOW
