If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7
I was talking with a young mother this past week who has a young daughter, “Lili,” and she’s trying to teach her the importance of prayer and that we need to be specific rather than praying something from memory. Lili’s dad works a lot so he doesn’t spend much time at home. This one Friday evening, as Mom asked Lili what she’d like to pray for, Lili said, “I’d like to ask God that daddy would be home for one full day.” Mommy explained to Lili that that is a wonderful prayer, but she also needed to realize the daddy’s work has to do with emergency services, so the answer might not be right away and daddy is scheduled to work tomorrow.
Lili’s daddy was actually scheduled to work all day Saturday and all day Sunday. Later Friday night, daddy informed mommy that all the shifts got covered for Saturday, so he would be home all day. In fact, that Saturday evening, he was called from work informing him that all the shifts for Sunday were also covered!
Coincidence…or answered prayer? Sunday evening at bedtime, mommy talked to little Lili telling her that it was very important for her to thank God for answering her prayer. Not only did God give her one day with daddy, He went over and beyond and gave her two days!
You’ll remember the story of an un-named trusted servant of Abraham, in the Old Testatment, who was sent on a mission, a mission that would affect history. He had to go on a long trek of a few hundred miles, on camel, to find a wife for Isaac, Abraham’s only son. What a responsibility! The servant had his orders – not a Canaanite woman who worshipped foreign gods, but a woman from Abraham’s country and from among his relatives.
The servant had his doubts. ‘What if?’ was in his thoughts. So, when he arrived at the place where he had been instructed to go, he prayed. He asked God to give show him with certainty which young woman God had chosen to become Isaac’s wife. The sign he was looking for to indicate the right wife for Isaac wasn’t about outward beauty alone, but inner beauty. He didn’t have to wait long for his prayer to be answered. Before he had finished praying, Rebekah arrived at the well and he knew without doubt that this was the woman he would take back with him to be Isaac’s wife.
God acted in response to prayer. The servant knew this was no coincidence. God was guiding him in a very ordinary way. God guided because he prayed. His response to God’s answer to his prayer was to bow his head and worship.
Sometimes what seems like a coincidence is a God appointment. Knowing God’s direction for our lives often takes time to discern, but God promises that He will guide. His ways are clear when our hearts are set upon Him and we lay our lives before Him. The question is how open are we to being led by God? Do we constantly seek the affirmation of other people or mostly asking for advice from others, or do we put our trust in God believing that He will act in response to our prayers?
Sometimes we do have to wait for God to answer prayer, and He doesn’t always answer in the way we think He should. However, He does act on the behalf of those who wait for Him and His ways are always best. If we are trusting God and share our hearts with Him, we know that He will answer us. There is never any coincidences with God.