When God answers prayer do you stop and rejoice or make another request?
I was sitting in my war room the other day, and before I even started to pray I stopped and looked at my answered prayer clipboard. Flipping through page after page of answered prayers, I began to feel overwhelmed with God’s goodness.
Give Praise When God Answers Prayer
Tears began to roll down my face, as I gave Him praise and thanksgiving for answering each of those prayers. I knew how fervently my husband and I prayed, standing in the gap for those requests. And at that moment, I was so grateful that we kept track of those answered prayers.
It amazes me when people ask us to pray for them and God answers their prayers; while we are rejoicing with them in the same breath they’re giving us another prayer request. Really?
Asking For Something Else
I know it’s just a prayer request but think of it this way. As a parent, when your children ask for something, and you give it to them; then instead of saying thank you and being content with what you just gave them, they immediately ask you for something else.
How would that make you feel?
Well, when our Heavenly Father answers our prayers, He is waiting for us to take a moment to stop and thank Him for what He has done.
“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”
~ Psalms 103:2 NLT
Often times when we’re facing uncertain circumstances, we worry if God will come through, forgetting about all the previous times He has.
This blog was birthed from the idea we had to turn our journals into a blog. Our journals are what we used to document the most trying times during our life.
While there are pages after pages outlining in detail our experience of facing trial after trial; there are even more pages that documented victory after victory. In essence, prayers answered over and over and over again!
Reflecting When God Answers Prayer
To this day, there are times we sit on the couch and read pages of our journal reminding us what God has done. It strengthens us, and encourages our faith to know that our God answers prayers.
Documenting your answered prayers can be kept in prayer journals, notebooks, or even something as simple as a clip board with lined paper, like we do in our way room.
(I hang this in my war room and use lined paper that matches the colors of my floor rug.)
We like to think of answered prayer list as our personal record of God’s goodness. Just like when we read our Bible. We read about the promises of God and how faithful He was to meeting the needs and prayers of His people.
The same faithful God read through Genesis to Revelation is the same God that answers prayer in our life.
In The End
It doesn’t matter how you document your answered prayers; it’s just important that you do. So that the next time you find yourself wondering if God answers your prayers, you can remind yourself by looking at what you’ve recorded; that if He did it for you then, HE will do it for you now!
Tell me, how will you keep track of your answered prayers?
~ Timberley Gray
I really enjoy reading your blog and it’s very encouraging to me .. but I have a a question
How do I c Mutinies to keep the faith and keep praying when it seems as tho I’ve received no answers .. financially my back is literally against the wall and I say I’m not gonna stress but I feel like the sharks are all around me and a few more snaps they are gonna get me .. how do I stay faithful
Carolyn oh how I can relate to you! Psalm 34:19 AMPC says: Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
We may feel like our prayers aren’t being answered but the truth is God is at work, even when we don’t understand. This scripture hangs in our war room to remind us that the Lord is delivering us even when we can’t see it. We too have felt like we were drowning financially, physically and emotionally. We felt like no matter what we did, how much we prayed, how much we cried nothing was happening. But this scripture spoke to our hearts because we realized although we were enduring tough times, God kept us, we are still here. We don’t know your story but we do know that God is not a respecter of persons so if he kept us He will keep you too. Our encouragement to you is to keep the faith, don’t grow weary and hold on to Hope because at the end of the day God is all we have. He tells us to pray give us this day our daily bread, because He wants us to rely on Him daily for our ends. So stay the course, and continue to seek Him. ~ Blessings
Thank you for your encouraging words ..
I’m gonna hold to his word and stand firm that he will see me thru ..
Blessings
You’re welcome! Stay encouraged no matter what.
I agree with Andre and Timberley from personal experience and 4 filled prayer journals, with answers written next to them in red pen. This is for when a prayer in answered Carolyn. Like you, I have felt as if I’m still alone with the anxieties right in front of me but I can see now that God was definitely at work. Sometimes it took years, others that same day. It is always miraculous and glorious!!! Thank you for this post to remind me of those many entries in red pen and to praise Him more. Blessings on you all, Cate
Well I just keep my prayer request on scrap paper in my bible, with year I asked then year completed. Or I fold over on the otherside. Then I forgot about them I remember one morning to just randomly check and I cry and say thank u long time has passed. No were near done. U think your little prayers are too little for him nope he is able.
Amen sister. ~ Blessings
Nice read. Thank you for highlighting the importance of reflecting on answered prayers. Not only will it make for a more grateful heart it also helps build faith when we are believing God for something. We can reflect and say if he did it before he will certainly do it again!!!
Amen Leigh! I look at it as a memorial. The Bible is filled with memorials of what God has done. But sometimes people have a hard time relating to the stories in the Bible, but when they look back at what God has done for them it helps put things in perspective. ~ Blessings
I keep saying I’m going to do this and I never do. I’ve also felt convicted to really write every day. I think that one will lead to the other. I am definitely going to make a better effort to get this done!! God deserves every bit of credit and gratefulness that I can offer.
Brittany you are so right, God deserves to hear our grateful hearts. Everything is beautiful in His timing so when you area able to get around to it, it will be right on time. ~ Blessings.
Great blog post. So many times we are just asking and askinga nd askign and we forget that He is working on our behalf and answering many things in the midst of our storms and struggles. Thank you for the reminder to be grateful for what He does for us daily. Blessings!
Thank you Desiree! I love that God works on our behalf even when we forget to acknowledge what He has already done. And that alone makes Him worthy of our praises. ~ Blessings
What a great idea and testimony to God’s actions in the past! I really need to do this!
Visiting from #Salt&Light
Thank you Julie! I’m sure you will enjoy meditating on what God has done for you. I love reflecting on what God has done so I am not discouraged in the present moment. ~ Blessings
I already mentioned that I have 4 prayer journals filled over the last 8 years but I had stopped writing in them regularly. Life just got in the way but our Father deserves more than that, doesn’t He? He deserves daily thanks even when things are tough especially as I can look back and see His hand on my life in the past. I treasure your posts and your comments that keep my priorities right. Bless you both and thank you for the War Room Challenge too. We are in a new house and I need to allocate a space, or else it happens randomly!
Amen Cate! Yes God deserves praise daily when we wake up and before we go to bed! And you are right if we aren’t intentional about our prayer time it happens randomly or not at all. Thank you for your prayers especially with the War Room Challenge. We know the enemy will try to stop what’s about to happen in the spirit, but we won’t let that happen!!