Monday, June 1, 2009

sometimes God answers yes when we pray...

 My mother has always tried teaching me conventional lessons through unconventional ways. I forgave her for the tactile lessons about reproduction by farming rabbits in our backyard and tadpoles in glass mason jars, the math lessons using pinto beans as counters, and the Native American experience by making corn husk dolls. When kids on our block would ask why my mother wore tie-dye shirts fifteen years past their fashion limit, I whispered, She used to be a dope-smoking hippy. We'd all lift our eyebrows and shake our head at the effects drugs had on the youth of the 60s. We were twelve. 

But some lessons were greater than others. One in particular has stuck with me til this day. She sang a song that went a little something like this:
Sometimes God answers yes when we pray.
Sometimes God answers wait when we pray.
Sometimes God answer no, just because He loves us so.
Sometimes God answers no when we pray.
Her unconventional song caused me to recognize God was sovereign and control of all outcomes for His glory and His will. Yes, the hippy taught me theology before she taught me my multiplication table. 

I wrote about Brianna and how God is the God of the Impossible on this post. Well, let me be the first to break the news: Brianna Marie Glenn ran a personal BEST in her event this past weekend in New York. Yes, y'all, she's pretty much the coolest girl EVAH! I'm SO proud of her and this is case-in-point that when the righteous call to the Lord for impossible things, He answers. James 5:16  The prayers of the righteous are effective and powerful. Breezy, can I get an amen? I may not be righteous, but I was praying for you like the your A-standard depended on it. Essentially, you won because of me. Just kidding! Well... half-kidding. 

In true circular manner, I find myself passing along my mother's song to you as I sit in Starbucks, listen to indie music, and don a urban tie-dye schmock. But don't worry, I won't blog about rabbit reproduction tomorrow. Promise! I'm going to do a two-part post about finding God's will for our lives without a dream, vision, a fleece, impression, open door, random bible verse, casting a lot, liver shivers, or writing in the sky. In the words of Granny Lambeth, y'all come back now, y'hear!

14 comments:

Jasmine said...

No offense, but God answered MY prayers, not yours! ;)

Lydia said...

Your mom sounds so much like mine! Aren't we so blessed to have such wonderful women in our lives!

Congratulations Brianna!

Brianna said...

AMEN!!!

I love you soooooooo much.

Anonymous said...

I would like some prayers answered, maybe my problem is I forget to pray first. Ha.
Pray for me B. Satan loves to pull our (sins) from the depths waiting for us to be suckered in. And when we give in, we hit HARD. ok maybe just me. But there's my prayer!!! Please.

Kate Williams said...

Thanks for sharing! You don't know me, but I had to look up your blog from J and let me tell you - I love to hear/read your words! Praying for ya! Hope to meet you one day...

Frannie said...

Lord knows that I need to be doing this. There is so much to pray for, things that seem impossible to me but definitely possible for God!

Faith. faith. faith.

Quirky Christa said...

I heard a sermon once basically about God ALWAYS answering prayer. His answer is either yes, no or WAIT! It's the no & wait that we all seem to have the problem with :)
Can't WAIT for your 2 part post...lol.

Sarah said...

Love the song! So simple and so true, can't wait to teach it to Tank! Looking forward to your 2 parter. Sounds like it's gonna be awesome and exactly what I need right now.

Anonymous said...

The Lord used your mom to make you who you are today!!! Your mom is so wonderful!!! Guess who this is from!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Awesome BB!! Please pass on my congrats to Brianna! ;)

-j

Anonymous said...

Hello Bianca:
Love your post... I’m praying for wisdom and patient. This past weekend I was studying with a group of classmate and I don’t how they begin talking about religion!! Big mistake... there is a guy who openly said I’m a atheist I don’t believe in God and the rest of the ladies are Catholic and so devoted to Virgin Mary, they asked me if I believe in the virgin and I just said no.. because I really don’t believe that she can be mi connection to GOD, to make it short they end up attacking me really bad cuz I said that, I was in shock because they rather to attack me the one who don’t believe in the virgin but accept the one who doesn’t believe in God at all.. Then they started to tell me that my bible was wrong and that theirs is the correct one because theirs bible stated that Mary is a holy person. I was speechless when I was there; just kept my mouth shout cuz I realized it is not worthy to make a stubborn person see the truth!! Please what do you think about that

Bianca said...

@Fran, you stay up LATE!
@Christa, any baby names yet? I'm dying!
@LISA! You're the child my mother always wanted.
@Sarah, you left a comment!! Woohoo. Give Tank a squeeze... I want to meet him soon :)
@J, one week til your party EXTRAVAGANZA!!!
@Anon, please email me at bianca@inthenameoflove.org. This is important and a comment would be too long :) But don't give up! Stay strong and ask God for wisdom.

His Jewel said...

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 "...always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;" If after they do not agree or accept the Lord, the bible says not to cast pearls before swine. So just love on them. Show them the love of Jesus which is what this blog is about. I know it's very difficult to do, but ask Him to give you his love for them and He will! =)

Anonymous said...

I would like to say that I've been studying this very issue out for several weeks now and I don't find it anywhere in the Bible that God sometimes says, "no" and sometimes says, "maybe" or "wait".
Here's what I find:
Matt 21:22 - And whatsoever things you ask in prayer, BELIEVING, you will receive.
Matt 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you ...
John 14:13-14 - And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
1 John 5:14 - Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
James 1:6 - But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Mark 11:22-24 - So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain "be removed and be cast into the sea' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things which he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.
Mark 9:23 - And Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

Some notes: The Greek word used for Faith in the New Testament is "pistis". It means: to trust in, to have faith in, to be fully convinced of, to acknowledge, to rely on.
The Greek word used for Believe in the New Testament is "pisteuo" - which is the VERB form of "pistis".

So, when we BELIEVE that means we are EXERCISING our faith.

The Bible tells us exactly how to get faith. Rom 10:17 - Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

The word used for "word" in that verse is "rhema" which means "spoken word".

So, if you want to get faith and have enough faith to pray with belief, you must read and hear the Word of God (the Bible).

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