I have a lesson to teach in Sunday-school today about how God answers our prayers. The "textbook" story is that of Zacharias and Elizabeth whose prayers to have a child are answered- but not in the timetable anyone would expect.

I've been trying to think of examples from my own life where my prayers have been answered in different ways and times.

The first example that comes to mind is one of receiving an answer quickly and having the result I hoped for. I was 15 or 16 and had gone on a Boy Scout camp to one of their organized camps, and myself and a friend (using the buddy system) were headed back from the center of the place to our troops campground. The trail we were on started to dwindle, and eventually my buddy expressed some doubt we were going th e right way. I was confident, and when he again expressed a desire to turn back and go a different way, I sent him off and continued on my own. You know where this is headed, of course. The trail got less pronounced until I was searching for signs of a trail, and then just hoping that it would pick back up again. I was lost. First I panicked for a while, and took off running until I tired, and there was no sign of trail, camp, boys, fire, or anything I hoped for. Just forest noises and the sound of the wind in the pine trees. Defeated, I got to my knees. I addressed my Heavenly Father, admitting to him that I had been stupid. I had left the safety of the trail and left my buddy behind. I asked if he would help me to find my way to camp. The fear left me and though I did not know where I was I felt confident that I would find a way and I set out, peering as far into the woods as I could see.  After 15 minutes of blindly walking, I spied a bit of blacktop, a road,through a gap in the trees. I rand toward the distant road until it fell from view, and then I kept walking in the same direction. I am not sure how long I walked, getting peeks of this road every once in a while, but eventually I walked right back into the busiest part of the camp and was able to find my way back. I had only been gone for a couple of hours and no one had even missed me.

A second example is a little harder.  I wanted to include a time when the answer to my prayer was "No", or like Zacharias, "Not right now" or even no answer at all, and talk about how the love of God is manifest in those answers too. I may have to come back and write about that later.

The following is a slightly altered version of the 23rd psalm. It came to me the last time I read it as I considered the words in contrast to Mathew 7:21-22

Not every one that saith to me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

The question suggested is: am I the sheep of the Good Shepherd? Am I following Him? How is he trying to lead me?


If the Lord is my Shepherd

If the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.
He will make me lie down in green pastures if I follow Him: He will lead me beside the still waters.
If I am his sheep, He will restore my soul: He will lead me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil if I am with Thee; Thy rod and Thy staff, they will comfort me.
Thou canst prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou wilt anoint my head with oil; and my cup will run over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life if I follow the Lord: and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever, if the Lord is my shepherd.