Where does the world end? Many years ago in a far off land or lands, people thought the world was flat. If you took a ship far enough, they believed you would fall of the end of the world. They did not know the world was spherical. They only knew what they speculated to be the truth.

So they got on their ships and traveled the oceans until they realized that the world was indeed not flat and henceforth spherical.

There are probably as many hypotheses out there as there are humans. Everybody has a theory. Sometimes on a date a theory is voiced. Sometimes friends, over a warm barbeque by a lake on vacation, talk about their theories as to why the world is the way it is.

What theories do you have? Do you think about them often or are they more of a comical relief to think about when you are late for work and stuck in the parking lot known as the freeway?

Whatever the case may be, you may have some theories about how God answers prayer. Some people believe that God answers prayer in "His time." This seems to be the normal way of thinking. But yet I have another theory. God answers prayer either during or immediately after prayer.

Matthew 7:9-11 If a child asks his father for a loaf of bread, will he be given a stone instead? 10 If he asks for fish, will he be given a poisonous snake? Of course not! 11 And if you hardhearted, sinful men know how to give good gifts to your children, won't your Father in heaven even more certainly give good gifts to those who ask him for them? TLB

I do not believe that God would wait to start giving us answers to prayer any more than give us a stone, if we asked Him for a loaf of bread. He knows our hearts, but He does not want to make it easy on us, otherwise we may take Him for granted.

Why would God procrastinate? I think I heard a person say that they prayed every day for six months and then the Lord finally answered them. Maybe God was giving them subtle hints all along. But often, we humans, expect to be hit on the head with the answer, so to speak. We want the simple. We want answers simply.

Colossians 4:2 Don't be weary in prayer ; keep at it; watch for God's answers , and remember to be thankful when they come. TLB

But what if God gave us subtle hints either during or immediately after prayer, but we ignored them waiting for the exact answer in ways that were everything short of seeing His answer in immediate writing.

But why would God give us hints instead of a more direct approach. If He did the direct approach then why did He give us brains to think? If the answers are apparent, there is no reason for thinking.

You see God gave us minds to think things out. He also gave us common sense. I mean just think, if God gave you the exact hammered out answers to questions immediately after prayer, and every time you prayed, then the challenge of life would not be there. And I think that God wants us to challenge ourselves so that we can blossom into the kinds of individuals that are mature not only in what we do, but also how we act around other people.

As I said earlier we may take God for granted if He kept answering prayer with clear concise answers. So maybe the reason God may give us subtle clues when we first start praying is so that we can grow up with Him in our minds and try diligently to get more answers to Him. And as we piece together the clues of what He wants for our lives we will become more enriched as individuals rather than cells merely waiting for another cell to connect with.

In other words, God gave us the common sense to think about what is right and to learn how He can make our lives more understandable and enlightened.

Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes it is hard to know what the answers you give me to prayer mean. At these times, please guide me with the understanding that I need to make my life better and also those around me. Help me in this coming week to seek your answers often. I thank you for all your many blessings. Amen.

Benediction: Now, Lord, Bless us in our daily lives. Help us to smell the roses whenever possible, to shine our light on those less fortunate than us, and lead us in the path we should go. For you are the light that keeps our path well lit. Help us to follow it, until we meet you, in a land where milk and honey abound, a place where our most wonderful dreams are fulfilled. Amen.

Hi, my name is Bryan, a messenger of hope who would love to hear from you. God Bless.

© 2005 Bryan Hill