Well,Phil,

Can we honestly say that God did not answer those prayers just because it doesn't make sense to us?  Also, if the prayers had to do with people who can make choices against His desires, then we might not see  the answer we expected.

Sharon H.

> On Jan 4, 2017, at 7:16 PM, Jenifer Barr <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Hi all.
> I could write an esay on where I've been and why I've not been
> contributing to the list, but I won't.  I wanted to answer Phil's
> question in my own life and thank you all for your prayers.  I've been
> hungering for God's word more than ever, trying to seek His will more
> and more in my life for the past few weeks.  God's finally got my full
> attention and I hope I never stray again.
> 
> in my experience just in the past few days, I have received an answer
> to a prayer I'd been praying for the past 23 years.  It wasn't the
> outcome I'd wanted... the outcome I'd prayed for time and time
> again... but He answered.  One night not to long ago I completely gave
> this situation to Him... crying out to Him that I needed closure on
> this matter.  I told Him that I was no longer praying for the outcome
> I wanted, but what He wanted.  I told Him that I would accept whatever
> answer He gave me but I just needed an answer.  Well, He answered and
> I thought I'd be devastated by the outcome because it wasn't what *I*
> wanted.  But I have peace now.  I have the closure I need.
> 
> I now have one true love now, and that is Jesus Christ.  I am no
> longer bound by a past love that I thought was true.
> 
> The Bible says that if a man marrys a divorced woman he will be
> commiting adultery, so I am not bound by looking for a mate.  And, I'm
> perfectly ok with that.
> 
> I've strayed from phil's question, and I am sorry.  *smile*  But I
> will answer it by saying that God answers our prayers in His own
> timing.  It may not be how we want Him to answer, but He truly does
> answer.
> 
> Perhaps, if you all want me to catch you up on the last five or so
> years... where I've been hiding, I will.  If not, that's ok, and you
> can all continue on this journey with me.  I'm going to be asking you
> all a lot of questions about things I've read if that's ok?
> 
> I pray God's blessings for you all.
> Jen
> 
>> On 1/4/17, Phil Scovell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> Here is something to think about for this new year.  In recent times, as in
>> a few months ago and a few years ago, I heard the Lord in my thoughts, that
>> is, the Holy Spirit, telling me to pray specifically for two different
>> things.  They were separated by a couple of years so it wasn’t the same
>> request each time.  These were prayers of petition, that is, prayers I was
>> called upon  by the Lord to pray and in both cases, pray for a specific
>> positive outcome.  For those who do not believe the Holy Spirit has any such
>> intercessory ministry he administrates in the Body of Christ today, you
>> might as well stop reading now, because I don’t want to offend anyone.  In
>> comparison, you all have read the dozens and dozens of prayers I have prayed
>> when looking for something I lost.  If you cannot believe those prayers of
>> petition, you won’t believe these other two petition to which I am now
>> referring.  For the moment, I am not going to tell you what those
>> petitionary prayers were specific but I probably will later.  For now, I
>> want to focus on the fact, believe it or not, that God spoke to me in my
>> thoughts and told me, at two different times, to pray for a specific
>> outcome; both of which would have been God’s will to do in both cases.  The
>> problem is, neither prayer was answered.  In the case of one, the Lord spoke
>> to me 3 weeks in advance of the event the was later to occur and in the
>> second prayer, it was a couple of months, praying every day, and both times,
>> my will-of-God prayers were not answered.  Would God ask you to pray for
>> something He knew He would not answer?  If so, why?  Was it my fault for
>> listening to voices in my head?  Could it mean that God cannot answer every
>> prayer?  Warning; thin ice.  Oh, sure, the old faithful axiom; God always
>> answers prayer; sometimes he just says, no.  Cute, but weak theology to back
>> it up.  Anyhow, let’s start here and comment as you wish.  There are no
>> trick answers but I’ve been thinking about this experience for sometime and
>> thought you’d like to share your own thoughts and concerns about unanswered
>> prayer.
>> 
>> 
>> [log in to unmask]
>>