An Unexpected Answer to a Prayer 

Have you ever prayed for something and then God answered your prayer, but it was completely not how you thought He would answer it?   “Are you sure God, this can’t be right???”  

There are some biblical examples of a folks that have a similar response.  

The old Israelites wanted out of slavery.  In Exodus 1 the story begins.  They called out to God for rescue from their oppression.  They get their redeemer in Moses, an unlikely person to help, but not without some blood, frogs, lice, etc on their way out.  This surely couldn’t be the answer to their prayers of longing to the Almighty.  Then Moses leads them out of Egypt in miraculous fashion only to hear their murmuring and wishing to go back to Egypt.  Surely this could not be the answer to their prayer…they said they would rather be slaves under the Pharaoh than to endure manna and quail any longer.  Their prayers were heard and answered but certainly not how they expected.  

Then much later the Jews are again looking forward to the redeemer, the prophesied Messiah.  The gospels relay the story of baby Jesus, born in Bethlehem, hailing from lowly Nazareth.  A carpenter’s son?  Surely this cannot be God’s answer??  They expected a mighty political or military leader.  Their leader surely cannot be this Jesus.  Their answer was to kill Him!    Their prayers were heard and answered but certainly not how they expected. 

Later we read about Peter imprisoned in Acts 12.   An angel appears and helps him escape and he immediately goes to his fellow disciples’ home.  In vs 12 it says “where many were gathered together praying”.  That prayer is answered because Peter is there waiting at the door, but they don’t believe the poor little servant girl that is trying to convince them.  God surely didn’t answer our prayer like that?  They finally let Peter in and were amazed.  Their prayers were heard and answered but certainly not how they expected.

Sometimes we earnestly pray for something, maybe even something very specific.  God answers our prayer, but it’s not as we expected.  It looks different than we expected.  It doesn’t fit into our box.  It may cause us some additional work.  It might cause us some discomfort.  It might not be the easy path. So… Do we complain like the Israelites?  Do we try and thwart God’s plan like the Jews in the NT?  Or do we finally accept the blessing God is giving us and stand amazed like Peter’s friends.  It’s hard not to question God sometimes.  We are humans.   

But by doing that, we limit God.   God answers prayers His way because He can see the whole picture.  Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts…

We lowly humans cannot imagine the fullness of His goodness!  It would be in our best interest to let Him work and answer our prayer as He sees fit and for us to accept those answers.  Had the folks in our first two examples done that, they would have reaped the benefits of His goodness!