It was a typical trip to the grocery store with my mind checking and double checking my long list while the radio played a bit too loudly. As the music from one of my favorite Christian stations ended the hosts came on air and asked the audience to call in with responses to the question, “Do you think prayer works and how?” They went on to discuss the findings from data collected in April 2020 by George Barna, Director of Research of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. The radio host zoned in on one particular finding that sparked the question to the listening audience. The survey revealed that “Among the seven out of ten American adults who consider themselves to be Christian, three out of four (76%) believe that God hears prayers. However, there is a range of ideas concerning how God responds to the prayers He hears.” The first shocker was that twenty-four percent of praying Christians don’t believe God hears their prayers. The Lord says in Jeremiah 29:12, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” This comforting scripture is just one of the many that assures us that God most definitely hears our prayers. The second jarring response was that “a surprisingly large share of people who pray (14%) admitted that they don’t know if God responds to peoples’ prayers or, if He does, how He responds. The short rebuttal to this finding is yes, He responds but discerning how He responds requires a deeper understanding of the character of God. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15) The answer can be a variation of “yes” or “no” or “wait, not now”. We are not all knowing and it is important to remember God is and His answers are born out of His love for us and sometimes the answer “no” or “wait” is for our own protection or providence. We must trust that whatever the response to our prayer is, it will be the best possible solution for our lives or the lives of those we are praying for. I surmise that the 14% that question their belief in prayer have a limited understanding of who God is. The hinge is not really about believing in prayer, it’s about believing and trusting God.
Shortly before Kelsey was to begin chemotherapy, my husband’s Greek Orthodox co-worker, sent her name and details of her condition to his friend, Omiros, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Omiros in turn talked with some monk friends in Mount Athos, Greece, to ask for pray for Kelsey and our family. He sent a letter filled with hope and confidence for Kelsey’s healing, along with several orthodox items. In his letter he wrote, “You should absolutely trust God and you must feel this in your prayer. Be sure that God listens to the least we tell Him. A Greek female monk said, “Life is a canvas work. We people see the back side, where the floss is very ugly, but as the years go by and we see the front side, we admire its beauty.” Just today, (don’t you love how God works!) Clay’s co-worker called because Omiros wanted an update on Kelsey. The monks have been praying for fifteen years. We were delighted and humbled to share the Lord’s response to the prayers of many. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit. (the picture is of Mount Athos, Greece-home to several monasteries)