All of us need inspiration to get us through the challenges of this life and to know that God is the wellspring that refreshes our spirits, gives us courage, and guides our footsteps.

Each week the Globe publishes a “Prayer for Willie” taken from a collection by Dr. Hamilton T. Boswell, to remind each of us of the presence of God in our lives, no matter what faith, denomination or interpretation we choose for ourselves.

 Gracious God, source of all mercy and God of all comfort,

    We raise our minds to You in prayer and praise.

    From the physical reality of this room, outwardly seen and touched, we turn to You who is inwardly felt and spiritually known.

    May we not be anxious, whatever the challenge.

    When we have fought a good fight and lost, stand by us, O Lord, that we may be assured by eternal truth that with God, nothing shall be impossible.

    Make us instruments of Your purpose, and with Your power move the stone away.

    May it also be that some great thing may be done not by us, but through us.

Amen

For information regarding Prayers For Willie, Pathways for Daily Living, please e-mail Eleanor Boswell-Raine at eleanor@theglobenewspapers.com or telephone her at 510-222-5656.

God delays answering
prayers for our own good

God does not always answer our prayers immediately.
    Often, when troubles invade our lives, God’s response to us is delayed for our own good. The time that we spend waiting for God’s answer is often used by God to teach us character traits such as patience, endurance and faithfulness, as well as how to be more loving, how to have hope and how to extend kindness.
   He wants to redirect our lives. God waited years before He met the need of deliverance in Joseph’s life. He had a great purpose in mind for Joseph and the nation of Israel. God’s people were eventually saved from famine because Joseph showed obedience and submission to God’s will. Joseph’s response to his brothers in Gen. 50:20 shows that Joseph understood why God delayed answering his prayers: “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”
    God wants to teach us to trust Him completely. His goal is to mold us into the likeness of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He wants us to trust Him completely and totally. One of the ways He accomplishes this is by teaching us to look to Him for all our needs. “And we that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose,” (Rom. 8:28).
    God wants to bring us to repentance. Sometimes, He will wait until we have come to “the end of our rope” and repented of the sin in our life that hinders His blessing from coming to us. The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 highlights this principle. The father of the prodigal son, who represents God, waited until his son came to himself.
    Also, God often wants to correct our motivation. He can see all the hidden dark comers of our heart. When our motivation does not match up to His will for our lives, God will delay meeting our needs until our motives are aligned with His will.
    The Bible clearly says that God will answer our prayer. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened,” (Matt. 7:7-8).
    But, God often delays His answer to our prayer for our own good.