What happens when God answers your prayers with a “Yes!”?
What happens when the very thing you’ve longed for, flower desired from seed planted long ago, is blooming in glorious spring-time beauty?
{Might sound like a silly question.}
It seems like we are more prepared sometimes for the answer to be “No.”, “Not right now.”, or unnerving silence, than when the pounding on doors of heaven, the thing that brought you to your knees in the heavenly throne room, is answered with a “Yes, my sweet.” When God takes confidence in you, puts His plan in you and knows it will come to fruition.
{Those of you that are still in the shiver of autumn, preparing for the winter soak of your heart-dirt, could easily think to yourself, “What are you talking about?! Of course I want a ‘Yes!’ That’s why I pray. I’d be ecstatic. Remembering every detail of the difficult journey and so thankful for the long awaited answer. . . and that it was Yes!”}
But why do you pray?
To get an answer? To have that answer be “Yes!”? To change your life? To change the world? Or to be with the One you long to glorify, verbalize soul-praise?
No matter how you answered, it can be difficult to be loved with a “Yes.”
Why? Maybe we know we’re full of the earth, dust to dust, undeserving of Cross Love, yet have a Father that gives bread instead of stones. Maybe its overwhelming to think of the “What now?!” not fully expecting in faith the answer.
Sometimes it’s a struggle to know how to take it all in, accept the love, success, or dream come true. I don’t feel so alone when I read others’ journies into “Yes!” Maybe we’re afraid of success? Or we don’t know how to count it all joy? Or it’s Jesus wooing us out of our comfort zone?
I pray in your “Yes!,” you will be eucharisteo thankful. As Ann says, “the thankful brings joy,” not fear or feelings of overwhelmed.
That you will be full of praise for Him in all things and remember you have asked and received.
That you will say “Glory to God!” for bending near, hearing your prayers, and giving you good gifts like a Heavenly Father should and does.
That you will find contentment in the blanket of “Yes!” For contentment is so close to the heart of our Lord, settling in to what His desire is and quickly forgetting the obsessive want.
That you will continue to pray, your dependance will grow on Him, and you will say “Yes!” to what He has for you.
By Stephanie Bryant, Co-Founder of (in)courage & Creative Mastermind at S Bryant Social Marketing
Leave a Comment
Sonya says
“It seems like we are more prepared sometimes for the answer to be “No.”, “Not right now.”, or unnerving silence,”…… This is so true for me!
I wonder if I would even recognize if He said yes. 🙂
Ashley Taylor says
I had been praying for my husband to get a new job. But when the interviews started coming I got scared. Mostly because it changed MY plan. I realized that I needed to praise God for the blessings and gifts even when they don’t come as I wanted them to or expected them to. I was failing to praise God for what he had given me. Fortunately I realized this and began to praise God even though I was unsure about the plan. I then asked for my sisters in Christ to pray for my heart. And just a few days later I had that peace that I had when I thought the answer was “no” or “not yet.” Praise God for being able to change me and saying “YES” to my prayers!
Robin ~ PENSIEVE says
“But why do you pray?”…”to be with the One you long to glorify, verbalize soul-praise”
Oh, for THAT to be true…ALWAYS.
Beth says
I’ve never heard anyone bold enough to voice this! I used to feel guilty when I would receive His good gifts…still go back to comparing “why not them?”…I am learning gratitude in all things and that His favor is what others NEED to see! If He will give bread, not stones to me, then He will give bread, not stones to others…in His time. Sometimes His favor on me is the result of a long season of faithfulness, growth, pain…and those around me are HAPPY to see that good can come from it all when we seek HIM first. Thank you for such a great reminder to count it all joy!!
Jill says
Your words so greatly touched my heart this morning. Thank you, Stephanie!!! You are such a blessing! :0) GLORY TO GOD!!!
Jan says
Great post. It is so true that answers may be out of our comfort zone. But when God wants things to happen – watch out – He will answer in a way that you would never imagine. YES can be scary but opens other doors.
Marty says
Great question Stephanie. (Are men allowed in here?) – Myself and a pastor friend have posed a similar question… Why do we avoid God? Do we avoid God and hospitals for similar reasons? – http://wp.me/p1n7Kh-1b
It’s kind of crazy to think that we would avoid God because we are insecure about His the impact of His blessings and how they might “impose” upon our lives. His blessings can take many forms. Sometimes His blessings are what we consider cool things in this life… Sometimes His blessings are difficult and even painful things that may not feel like good things because of the discomfort they cause. Kind of like giving birth. How many of you ladies would sign up for that if it was not for the promise of new life?
Even though the difficult and painful things often bear good fruit – these are often the blessings that we tend to want to say thanks but no thanks to. God loves us enough to go ahead and give them to us anyway.
We humans are funny creatures, but He loves us anyway!
Marty says
Great question Stephanie. (Are men allowed in here?)
Myself and a pastor friend have posed a similar question… Why do we avoid God? Do we avoid God and hospitals for similar reasons? – http://wp.me/p1n7Kh-1b
It’s kind of crazy to think that we would avoid God because we are insecure about the impact of His blessings and how they might “impose” upon our lives. His blessings can take many forms. Sometimes His blessings are what we consider cool things in this life… Sometimes His blessings are difficult and even painful things that may not feel like good things because of the discomfort they cause. Kind of like giving birth. How many of you ladies would sign up for that if it was not for the promise of new life?
Even though the difficult and painful things often bear good fruit – these are often the blessings that we tend to want to say thanks but no thanks to. God loves us enough to go ahead and give them to us anyway.
We humans are funny creatures, but He loves us anyway!
ingrid says
I can only agree with what Sonya wrote. I believe that it can have a lot to do with negative childhood memories, and that we think that we don’t deserve a Yes. A Yes would be too good to be true. I talk with God about all these issues and why I feel the way I do, in the hope to find in Him the Loving,Comforting Father I never had. Even when I FEEL that I don’t deserve a Yes, I hope for a Yes, based on His Mercy and Grace!
Michele @ From the Unpaved Road says
What happens when you hold on, pray, carry the child of a dream whispered from heaven for years: pondering, longing, persisting, trusting and then in the blink of an eye you become an arrow hurtling through time and space launched by Papa into the reality of deepest dreams you didn’t even dare to give language to? And suddenly you are a world away, holding your promises and rocking them to sleep at night in a warzone and finding even this promised land has its many giants… what happens then?
I know the book. I am no grasshopper. I am a daughter called and armed with a promise from One eternally utterly trustworthy. I look for the good in the promised places and let my Daddy deal with the giants in the land.
I did after all only get what I asked for. {Papa would you give me the wastelands and war zones and places You can’t get anyone else to go. I want those.}
This journey of a YES from heaven has been a wonder-washed, adrenaline inducing, comfort zone shattering ride into the depths of my need and the heights of His faithfulness. A ride that calls and contends with every unsurrendered place because in five years if I am learning anything, it is this :: a yes from heaven calls forth and fuses with a deeper yes from the patch of earth inside of me. Papa, love me past all my NOs that only your YES remains.
Deidra says
God said “Yes” yesterday and I realized I didn’t what to do about that. Thanks for this!
Jane says
Thank you Lord that you are always there for us bending low and listening to us. Thank you for the gifts you give us. Help us to be ever mindful of those around us so we can pray for them. Help us to remember to come to you first when there are needs in our lives and not try to fix it ourselves.. .
Thanks Holley for pointing out when we don’t know what to do He is there!
Amy says
I have this heart aching *longing* and sometimes I grow weary of trusting His will, and yet I believe He placed that ache inside of me…and even though I’d love for him to say yes, I admit I’d be scared for the reality of raising another child (my ache) since I know what parenting entails. I’ve had this on my heart for awhile that maybe God is allowing the longing for awhile longer (however long that is)…so that the ache is engrained in my spirit, so that I never forget how this ache leads me to Him and how He uses it for His glory. I’m afraid I might forget this special time of aching – even though it’s a hard grateful to live. Yet, with all my doubts of His goodness and His love for me, I believe this time is so pivotal to my story.
I wrote about some of this in a recent post here:
http://arock4him.blogspot.com/2011/03/resting-in-trust-of-my-belay.html
Monica Snyder says
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” II Corinithians 1:20 ESV
http://www.teamdanica.com/2011/01/blog-post.html Christa Well’s gorgeous song “A Thousand Things” talks about God’s “yes” to us in every answer. I am still listening to this song almost every day.
Beautiful post. Thank you.
Thomas Sabo Australia says
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WHEN GOD ANSWERS YES | Under the Cover of Prayer says
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