September 27, 2021
Crying Over Answered Prayer
Suzanne Eller
Today’s Truth
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on” (Exodus 14:15 NIV).
Friend to Friend
I pulled out an old prayer journal and there it was. Written in my own handwriting was a prayer request I had prayed for years. I traced the words with my finger and the words blurred as tears threatened.
Just five minutes earlier, I had questioned my husband like a lead investigator.
Are you sure we can do this?
Are we making the right decision?
What about {fill in the blank}?
I peppered him with numerous questions. I wanted to iron out every detail and make certain that this was not just doable, but with no room for error. In the night, when I should have been sleeping, I crunched numbers in my head and went over possibilities.
It was exhausting.
Seeing that prayer request in the journal was a reminder that I had asked God for this very thing. That’s what brought me to tears.
God had graciously answered, but rather than rejoicing, I was fretting.
In today’s passage, Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt and out of slavery. They had been at the mercy of their captors, working unmerciful hours making bricks from straw. It was brutal work. For years, they had prayed for freedom and the answer had finally come! Egypt was behind them, and they were on the way to the Promised Land. The journey was not without obstacles. Pharaoh sent his men after them and they were panicking. They complained and murmured. Their fretting was so incessant that Moses petitioned God on their behalf, and this was God’s response:
“Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” Exodus 14:15 (NIV)
This may seem direct and to the point, but you must understand. The Israelites were in the midst of a miracle, yet they had been so focused on the obstacles they were missing it. They were blind to the fact that they had been in shackles and were now stepping into freedom.
God didn’t want them to get stuck in the murmuring over the miracle.
As I traced the faded prayer request with my fingers, I thought about all the times I cried out to God for this particular miracle. But even as the answer began to unfold, I became fixated on the obstacles ahead rather than the miracle. The answer God gave the Israelites was mine as well.
Keep moving, Suzie.
Rarely does answered prayer mean that it’s smooth sailing all the way.
We pray for that prodigal child to come home, and they do. Yet there’s work to be done in the relationship.
We pray for God to help us achieve a dream. He does, and it takes work and time.
We pray for a promotion and there’s a learning curve.
You and I have a choice. We can get caught up in the challenges or celebrate what God has already done – and where God is taking us.
For me, it was time to shift my focus. I opened that old journal one more time and wrote “answered” beside my prayer request. Sure, there were challenges ahead, but what an opportunity for God to show me who He is over and over again.
Maybe you are in the midst of answered prayer and it’s not easy; it’s okay to say that. Rarely do miracles come without a faith walk.
Just know you aren’t alone.
God sees what is ahead and is with you every step of the way.
Keep moving.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, I’ve been so focused on the challenges of this answered prayer that I lost sight of what You have already done. Thank You for this unfolding miracle. Thank You for hearing my prayer,
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
What is one answered prayer that also brought new challenges in your life?
As that miracle unfolds, consider these questions:
When did I first ask God to answer this prayer?
In what ways is God answering my prayer?
Have I celebrated that?
In what ways will God continue to be with me as that answered prayer unfolds?
Click the comment button and share one thing that you’re praying about today.
More from the Girlfriends
In Suzie’s book, Come With Me: Discovering the Beauty of Following Where He Leads, she shares what it looks like to follow Jesus wherever He leads, whatever He asks, whatever miracle He wants to do in or through us.
Come With Me is a gentle, powerful resource that will help you connect with Jesus all over again, and live your faith right where you live.
Suzie has all kinds of freebies just for you! Download the first chapter of Come With Me free! Also, download a free prayer book and access online Come With Me study videos for your small group or personal study.
© 2021 by Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.
