Receive The Answer

Children, especially younger ones have a tendency towards short-term memory loss! I know this because I have experienced it with my own children. At certain times they would come to me ( and still do) asking for something and my answer would be "Yes." When I say "Yes" they are so ecstatic that they keep coming to me, asking the same question I had just answered. Not sure if they really didn't believe me the first time or not, but either way they kept asking just to make sure they heard right. While I understand their thinking, it's still difficult to not get frustrated.

As far as adults, we can be the same way. We take our requests and make them known to God, and wait for an answer. When we do get our answer, we for some reason, just can't receive it. There have been times when I have gone to prayer about something, really needing an answer, and then waited. When I would get my answer I suppose because I got what I wanted, I felt I needed 100 confirmations to make sure I had heard correctly. How silly is that? I suppose that if the answer would have been "No" or "Not right now." I would have accepted that, however a "Yes" really threw me at that moment.

In Acts we read a story about how Peter was imprisoned, and the church was praying for his release. Prayers were answered, and he was released by an angel of the Lord. It's a powerful story for sure. However lets focus on his friends in Acts 12:12-16 who were praying for him. It goes as follows. "And when he realized this, (that an angel had released him from prison) he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gate a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. And when she recognized Peters voice because of her joy, she did not open the gate. And they said to her, "You are out of your mind!!" But she kept insisting it was so. And they kept saying "It is his angel." But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed."

Now picture these people who were diligently praying for God to release Peter. When He did, they just couldn't accept it to be true. They had to have the faith without seeing and just go and open the gate. At the gate, Peter could not be seen because he was behind the door. I wonder why?

I have learned, and will continue to learn, that when I'm seeking answers, I must also accept the answer right away. I don't need 100 confirmations, for every answer from God. On some of the bigger issues I might need a confirmation, but not every time. The Lord actually gave me this passage as I was trying to make sure I had heard the right answer to something I was praying about. I kept saying, "Please, Lord show me if what I believe my answer to be is the right answer," and yet I guess I still needed more. The Lord then led me to this passage and showed me exactly what I'm sharing with you.

Sometimes we already know the answer. We just have to accept it, and open the door to receive it.