Morning Devotional 080225 God Answers Prayers

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

August 2, 2025

James 5:13-16

13 If any of you are suffering, they should pray. If any of you are happy, they should sing. 14 If any of you are sick, they should call for the elders of the church, and the elders should pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Prayer that comes from faith will heal the sick, for the Lord will restore them to health. And if they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve.

Good Morning! Pray for one another!

Do you believe? Prayer that comes from faith is powerful. We pray, God listens, and God responds. Our problem comes when God’s answer is not what we expected. A friend told me a story about a young pastor who prayed a prayer for healing for someone who was gravely ill. She died the next day, and the daughter who was in the room during the pastor’s prayer was very upset with the pastor. 

I understand the daughter’s grief because she left the hospital thinking that her mother would be healed. It is not that the pastor's prayer was in vain, nor was it prayed without faith. Sometimes, the healing comes from joining our Lord in heaven. 

God’s answers are often not what we expect. Sometimes, this creates a situation where we believe our prayers went unanswered. We are looking for one thing, and God delivers something else. 

Years ago, I read a series of books, The Mitford Series. Father Tim, the priest and main character in the books, often said, Let’s pray the prayer that never fails: Thy will be done. Amen. Sadly, we want and expect our will to be done, not God’s. 

When we pray, we should open our hearts and pray for God’s will. The most important part is not the length of the prayer, nor the words. The most important part is our faith that God hears, despite our poorly stated requests. Pray the prayer of a believer. God is always ready to respond. 

Giving Lord, you bless us abundantly! God, you listen and answer our prayers. Help us see and hear your answers. Thank you. We love you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: Pray continuously. 

Pray! God is listening!  Pastor Liz