So, prayer is how we talk with Heavenly Father. I have asked for His help with situations and problems and concerns many times. Sometimes God answers almost immediately and I see incredible positive changes or miracles. But, there are other things I ask about that seem to go unanswered and are still unanswered. I am coming to learn that those aren't "unanswered" prayers. They are "not-yet" prayers.
Here are few observations:
1 - "Not-yet" prayers teach us that God actually does have a plan for us. He can do anything, but He won't in these specific situations. That's often because He knows where we will need to be, who we will need to meet, and when and where all of this will need to happen. Sometimes we're just a little early, or at times we may just be barking up the wrong tree. But more often He is just using our current trials or situation to teach us things and change us in ways for which we will thank Him later. We came to earth to learn and grow. And to be changed. Trials are one of the essential ways that growth is facilitated.
2 - "Not-yet" answers are not punishments, and they are not signs that God doesn't love us. It certainly gives God no pleasure to see us go through disappointment after disappointment (Ezekiel 33:11). He really does weep with us when we suffer. I know that.
3 - That said, I am amazed at how quickly God does respond with a "yes" at other times. When He answers "yes," I think that He hopes to assure us that He really is helping us, and that either answer can be a sign of His concern and perfect knowledge; in other words, "yes" answers can help us accept "not-yet" answers with greater faith because we know God is responding. God wants us to not forget that He cares so much for us, and to know that He will answer "yes" whenever it is the best thing for us. He is our Dad, after all; He'd give anything to help us return to Him; His goal is our ultimate happiness.
I'm feeling this way right now, like my prayers are being answered with a "not yet." How do you cope with that? Do you ever feel like you go a little insane (ok, strong word, but youknowwhatImean) waiting for the answer? How do you remain calm and trusting and proactive? Any scriptures/talks/thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about this lately because I'm going through some pretty big changes that I know are right but I have no idea what the outcomes will be. Yesterday I was studying hope, and I came across this scripture in Jeremiah 17:7-8: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he [the man whose hope the Lord is] shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."
DeleteWe go through periods in our lives when our hope is a career or a relationship or a some other wonderful thing. These are good desires, so we wonder why the Lord delays giving them to us or directing us on how we might receive them. But our hope needs to be centered on the Lord, just like faith does ("Faith...must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation" [Bible Dictionary], which is ultimately our goal).
When we focus on the issues that trouble us, even when we center our personal study and our prayers around them, we feel like we are tackling them head on; what we are really doing is what Peter did when he looked at the windblown waves (Matthew 14:27-33). If he had kept his eyes on the Savior he would have discovered that he had walked across the sea, without worrying about the sea itself. When his attention was fixed on the sea, he struggled and sank.
If you were a tree you might be anxious about normal tree things, like heat or drought or the fruit you might yield; as a person you worry about normal person things, like education and family and marriage and work. Plant yourself in a good piece of ground as close to the Living Water as you can get. The rest will work out.
I think even caring about being strong and faithful shows that we deeply trust God and we do have faith. So, sincere props for that. :)
DeleteElder Hales' talk from this last conference sort of talks about this:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/waiting-upon-the-lord-thy-will-be-done?lang=eng&query=waiting+upon+lord
And, by the way Camille, I think you're incredible. And hilarious. And a total babe. ;)
I know that I have spent the last few months of life struggling with not yet answers, or just not being able to understand what the Lord is trying to tell me. I think for me I have to go back to the knowledge that I am trying; I'm making an effort to draw closer to my Heavenly Father. Life is hard right now, but eventually I will make it through this trial, and one day I'll understand why it happened.
ReplyDeleteA thoughtful essay. I agree with it. It is easy to say but hard to do. If we believe in God then we must have hope in Him and trust that he won't make us suffer one second longer than we have to. It's the old immunization comparison--an immunization is very painful for a baby and he may even question why his mother would put him through that ordeal (if he had the intellectual capacity to think such things), but in the long run it's a necessary trial in order not to suffer even more painful consequences later.
ReplyDeleteWith a tremendous no recently in our lives, this post was yet another that sent me in to deep thought. I've never heart it put the way you did, "not yet prayers." That will be a great help to me as we navigate this thing called life.
ReplyDelete