"Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer; He had the boundless certainty that prayer is always answered."
Wow. I have definitely thought and heard about all the "ask and you will receive" stuff, but this line by Oswald Chambers hit me in a new way today.
Never a mention of unanswered prayer.
He always answers.
But what about when it really and truly seems like there is NOTHING coming down the communication lines for your Father and you're seeking all sorts of possible ways to hear him?
"Have we by the Spirit the unspeakable certainty that Jesus had about prayer, or do we think of the times when God does not seem to have answered prayer?"
I have been believing that God always answers in His ways, according to His timing, and sometimes we are just oblivious to it.
Well, he got me again. Maybe I've just been oblivious. . . even though I thought I was checking every form of communication. Even telegram.
As for "his timing"--what about when the timing seems to run out? What about when you have to make a decision and there's been no answer? You don't make the decision? What about when you know he hasn't left you alone or anything, but it just really seems like he's being silent on a particular issue?
"God answers prayer in the best way, not sometimes, but every time, although the immediate manifestation of the answer in the domain in which we want it may not always follow....The danger with us is that we want to water down the things that Jesus says and make them mean something in accordance with common sense; if it were only common sense, it was not worthwhile for Him to say it. The things Jesus says about prayer are supernatural revelations."
