Answers to Prayers not even Prayed

 

I prayed my usual prayer for safety on the road, for alertness, for tired eyes to stay open, for a trouble-free trip, for no delays.

And then I got the call that he had been held up getting loaded and the hours began to slip away. And then another call to say that the highway was closed due to an accident and wouldn’t reopen for many hours.

Frustration.

Another day of work banking up due to hours wasted in waiting.

Or was it?

The more I walk this Christian life, the more I am beginning to see that what we call frustration, annoyance, upset plans, delays, God calls divine intervention.

You see, if he had not been held up getting loaded, if he had been on the road when he had planned, he would have found himself on the highway at the particular spot the accident happened and could very well have found himself in a ditch in disastrous circumstances.

God’s delays are never coincidental. They are always planned.

There was divine intervention that day. God knew all along.

God answered my unspoken prayer. He answered a prayer I didn’t know I needed to pray. He answered the prayer that asked for him to be held up so that he would be able to park safely, in reception, near a roadhouse so he could have a meal, and sit and rest for a few hours after a sleepless night.

How were we to know that the upset plans were all part of God’s plan? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but looking at the circumstances in the moment, it’s not always easy to be content.

Every day we have prayers answered that haven’t even been prayed. We have blessings from God that we don’t even recognize or think to ask for.

Isaiah 65:24 KJV - And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Did you know that there are invisible blessings?

There are blessings that only show themselves by not showing up.

Think about it. How many kilometres has your car gone without getting a flat tyre? How many years have you driven without being in an accident? What about that big tree in the front yard that has never dropped a damaging branch onto your house or car? Or maybe a very scary medical condition that you have never had to face, although you know many personally who have. Or maybe it’s God’s hand of protection over you when you didn’t even realise you were in danger.

These are blessings hiding in plain sight.

We have so many blessings showered upon us that we can’t even see or imagine. The goodness of God is so abundant.

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

God has done so much for us, and he blesses us every day. Whether they are evident or not, they are there. We can’t even fathom the depths of God’s love for us and the things he has prepared for us and saved us from.

Often the reason we don’t see the blessing is because we are too focused on the burden. We have chosen to dwell on all the negative things we see in our lives, letting them sit at the forefront of our minds, when if we changed our view and looked at things from a different perspective, a heavenly perspective, with gratefulness in our hearts, our eyes would be opened, and the blessings would be revealed.

God wants to grow a thankful spirit in the heart of every person. He longs for us to remember that he is the giver of all things and the very breath we breathe, comes from him.

In order to recognize what God gives, we have to have our heart open and alert. We need to be on the lookout for blessings.

And so, keep praying. Keep the communication lines open to heaven’s door. Keep knocking. Keep seeking. Keep asking. But remember that God answers prayers not yet prayed and be sure to give him thanks when those invisible blessings reveal themselves.

But don’t cling to the blessing. Cling to the blesser himself. The Lord, the Creator, the giver of all things good.

Psalm 107:1

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.