God’s amazing surprises! ............. Parables 710

April 3, 2001

A local bookstore hosted two evenings of poetry readings. While looking for a parking space, I breathed a prayer. How nice it would be to see an old friend, someone I had not seen for a long time and who would jump up, run over and give me a hug.

Why that prayer? I’m not sure. Even as it came to me, it seemed odd. I was seeing friends who would read their work and could not imagine anyone else who might be there, let alone someone who fit my request.

As I walked into the store, someone jumped to her feet, ran up to me and gave me a hug. It was my best friend from Bible college ten years ago. I was overcome and amazed. My request had not only been granted but the answer was put in place before I even prayed it.

This surprise prayer/answer combination happens now and then. One Sunday morning on the way to the church, I prayed that a new couple would start attending and gave specific criteria for this couple. At the church a few minutes later, two people fitting my description arrived at the door and spent the first of many Sundays with us.

In that case also, I wondered about my prayer. Where did the idea come from? At the bookstore, I had not thought about old friends or even that I needed to see one. I did not expect anyone to travel some distance to be there either. Was my prayer intuitive? Did I know what would happen rather than ask God to make something happen?

At the church, new faces were not on my mind. Did the idea come from my unconscious mind or some unknown desire? Where did the specifics fit in? How did I know to pray them?

However these thoughts emerged, they did. And as soon as they did, they were sent up to God as a prayer. In retrospect, both left me wondering if they had came down from God too. That is, did God reveal these two events to me just before they happened? If so, why? Did He want me to understand His power? His ability to reveal His will?

Who would turn down insight into the will of God? Not many. His moral will is easy to find — the Bible is clear about those issues — but what about the future? The Bible reveals only a general plan (which can be best summed up by ‘Jesus wins’) but the specifics are a mystery. As God’s people pray, we might get a glimpse of His plan but only a glimpse, and for reasons unknown, we are always surprised when these glimpses become reality.

For instance, chapter twelve in Acts describes how the Apostle Peter was jailed for preaching the Gospel. The church was in distress. One of their number had already lost his life for the same thing. Would Peter be next? They gathered to pray for him.

In the meantime, Peter was miraculously released from prison by an angel. He went directly to the place they were praying and knocked at the door. The girl who answered was so overjoyed she ran to tell the others without opening the door. All were astonished.

Think about this: they were praying to Almighty God who can do anything and who says He hears and answers our prayers. Why then were they surprised? Did they think their request was too difficult? Did I think my requests were too insignificant? Or unreasonable? I think they were amazed for the same reason I was amazed. God heard and set up the answer to their prayers before they even prayed them. That is astounding. Isaiah 65:24 says, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”

Lord, my requests are often like thoughts that I breathe, not like the earnest praying done by the early church for Peter. Yet You answer, even before they are uttered. You make us who pray realize that we are in partnership with You. What wonderful assurance to be encouraged by Your surprises. Thank You.