Answered Prayer

Answered PrayerPastor Olu Brown Romans 12:12 - Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.Have you ever prayed for something and it seemed like God was on vacation and allowed your prayer to linger in Heaven's In-box too long? You felt like life gave up on you and God had forgotten about you. No matter how much you prayed, begged, or read the Bible, there seemed to be no response from God.Not only is this a frustrating time but it is also a frightening time. Frustrating because you can't get a prayer through and frightening because you begin to wonder if God is really even there. I can imagine Paul wrote Romans 12:12 to a group of people who were experiencing similar thoughts and feelings. He encouraged them to remain "Faithful in Prayer." Every once in a while we have to be reminded to continue to pray even when our prayers don't seem to be answered or when we think God has taken a vacation during our most critical time of need.One of Paul's most consistent roles was to encourage the people. He had to reassure them of God's steadfast love and protection. I hope whenever we feel like God does not hear us or our prayers are being ignored, we remain faithful in prayer.Often, I am reminded of how much God really cares and how many times God truly answers my prayers. Sometimes I have to slow down, live a little and look around to see God's answered prayers in my life and the world around me. I know this may sound cheesy, but God's answers to our prayers are everywhere. Look around!