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• prayer

At the end of June 2009, while IRSM Board President, Katie Forbess, and her family were serving as missionaries in Cochabamba, Bolivia, a group of teens and four adults were on their way to a Spirit-filled weekend at church camp. Along the way, the driver lost control and the bus rolled about 100 meters down the side of the mountain.

News was scarce at the beginning and the church was in shock as they learned that three people had died in the accident and others were in critical condition. But they didn’t know any names and rumors were rampant.

The mother of a missionary coworker, Sharla Marcum, called Katie to find out how her son was doing or to see if she had any news. At that point, they didn’t know specifically whether or not her son, missionary Josh Marcum, had survived the accident.

A short way into their phone conversation, Sharla, without preamble or asking permission, began to pray over Katie.

Katie recalls, “Her words impacted me. She had called in the hopes of receiving good news and comfort, but instead used her words to comfort and empower me. She empowered me to pray over others who were processing this incident in the days and months that followed. And she inspired me to never hesitate to pray over someone – in a moment of crisis or joy, trial or triumph.”

Thank you, Sharla Marcum, for empowering Katie through your prayer that memorable day.

And now, Katie and I invite you to take the initiative and pray over someone today. Not only will you give them a tangible reminder that they are being lifted before the Father, but you will also inspire them with the empowering nature of prayer.

(Sharla’s son, Josh Marcum, did survive the bus accident. Three young ladies, Belen, Diana, and Ariana passed away in the accident.)

• prayer

“Return to sender, address unknown.” Ever feel like that’s what’s stamped on your prayers? You don’t get an answer and wonder if you even directed your prayers to the right person.

Thankfully, in Christ, we have direct access to the Father and no longer have to go to the temple or tabernacle. There is no priest to offer a sacrifice on our behalf so that God will hear us. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, once for all.

So, then, if I trust that I am able to lift my prayers directly to God, why am I not getting an answer?! Or are you?

Sometimes God answers our prayers in the affirmative and sometimes with a resounding “no.” And he often has us wait on the answer, causing us to doubt his sovereignty (gracious control) and whether his attentive ear understood our request.

However, there is a way in which God always answers our prayers: with spiritual growth.

As a general rule, we are not patient people. And, we are quite selfish. We want what we want and when we want it. We may not throw a temper-tantrum like a practiced two-year-old, but we have learned the art of masking our impatient selfishness. We pout, whine, complain, suggest, withdraw, demand… we each have our methods.

And when God asks us to wait, we pull out all the stops, bargaining with our divine Creator and loving Father, sure that we have a clearer understanding than he does.

And while we wait, what do we begin to learn?

·      Our divine Creator really does know what’s best for his creation.

·      Our heavenly Father loves us more than we can begin to comprehend.

·      Our sovereign God is in control and has an eternal perspective.

·      Our gracious Savior longs to bless us and even to save us from ourselves.

God may not answer your prayers when you want or how you want, but God always answers our prayers with spiritual growth, if we let him.

You don’t have the wrong address because your think your prayers aren’t being heard. You are experiencing an opportunity to increase your faith, just like the persistent widow (Luke 18).