Unanswered Prayers

It is very typical to hear people ask "Why doesn't God answer my prayers?". When ever I hear someone say that I always reflect on a thought. God does answer all prayers. He knows our hearts and knows what is best for us. He answers us in His own timing and in His own way. It is important to know that we don't get what we want in this life, we get what we need. If you offer up your will to God then you also get what you want. You get what you want because it's in line with what God wills for you. The salvation of your sou is the important thing here.

Imagine this:

You are in the kitchen with a most innocent and adorable child who has asked you to make them a sandwich. He asks for a specific kind of sandwich and you know that the child deserves a better kind so you tell him to sit down and you turn to start making this sandwich. You put all the fixing into it, make it to his liking, with ingredients that are healthy and wholesome and good and not to mention delicious. Now you have prepared this sandwich on a most beautiful plate with some chips, I mean it's all decked and you KNOW this child is going absolutely love this lunch because it is no longer just a sandwich you've gone all out. You turn to give it to this most precious child and as you turn.....

this child is holding an enormous butcher knife in his hands. He has gotten a hold of this knife and is holding it really close to himself. What do you do? do you tell the child to go ahead and eat this lunch you have prepared as he holds this knife that could harm him or others and let him eat while you go about your business?

OR

Do you put the plate down and run to him to remove this knife that can harm him and others?

I think any parent, any person would do everything in their power to take the knife away make sure the child is safe, and then sit him down to eat his delicious meal. Wouldn't you agree?

That is how our Lord and Father is with us. We ask for something and God does us one better and it may or may not coincide with what you asked for because God is preparing you the best answer you could ever imagine! But what happens is that the state of our souls are in peril and in danger from our sins. God is going to save us first from damnation before He gives us those things we are requesting. He is going to run to us so that we may repent, and remove ourselves from danger and sin. He cares FIRST about our salvation and nothing else. He wants us to enjoy things as well but he must first remove the "knives" we hold up to our souls and to other souls. We belong to God and are meant to be with Him for all eternity!!

When I don't receive something that I pray for, and rarely do I ask for much because I know God will give me what He wills. But when I do and I don't get my request I know it's because I am not ready to receive what I am asking for or God has something way better for me in store. Our duty, is to wait patiently and be grateful to the fact that we have a most merciful and loving Father who does everything for the salvation of our souls. He gave us the most precious gift we could ever need and that was His Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What more could I possibly ask for?

I need patience, perseverance, faith, courage, hope and above all LOVE in my soul and those things are things I KNOW God will provide and those are the things we need to ask for. In the end it will be you and Him. I pray that we all ask for the things that matter the most and that we look deep within to see if we too are holding a knife and are in danger. And even most important are we allowing our Father to remove these dangers by following His will.

Pax
Maria