Prayer. It can be a confusing, frustrating thing. We ask. We beseech. We struggle with what to "ask" for, or should we ask at all? Some times we even feel guilty when our prayers are answered.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
To my way of thinking, this means that prayer is an ongoing conversation. I like to think I pray all day, often pausing to pray for requests I get through email, or see on Facebook, or when someone comes to mind. I never say that I am praying for someone or something that I don't pause. Praying for others is an honor I take very seriously.
But, what do we do when the answers to those prayers don't look like what we thought they should? Let me share a recent answer I got with my diagnosis.
In March, I was in serious pain with my shoulder. I had tried several solutions - massage, salt water floats, medication, but the pain continued to intensify. I remember distinctly standing in the flower bed outside and praying "God I know that you are still a God of miracles and that you could heal my shoulder and take this pain away if it is your will. But if it isn't, tell me what to do."
The pain did not diminish. By the first of April, I could not sleep more than a couple of interrupted hours each night. Everything suffered and the pain continued. So, I sought the counsel of a dear friend and decided that I may need a cortisone shot. On April 5th, I saw an Orthopedist who found the lesions in my shoulder and was not only diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, but I also had a break in my shoulder bone.
My prayer was for the pain to stop. God's answer was to save my life. My disease had already progressed to 90% of my bone marrow at stage 4. Undiagnosed, I would most likely be dead now according to my oncologist.
I believe this answer is an example of what Romans 8:28 means: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." It doesn't mean that life will be easy or that we will always be happy, but it does offer us a measure of peace to know that God is weaving a tapestry through the good and the bad to bring us to His best.
