How God Answers Our Prayers

Numerous ways, of course, but I was reminded this week of one of the ordinary ways: by the Sunday liturgy.

Asking and Answering
There's a problem I've been praying through that was especially burdensome this past week. And in mass on Sunday morning, the hymns, the Scripture readings, and the sermon all had the same theme.

It wasn't anything new: the hymn I've sung countless times, and the passage from Ephesians that's not just familiar, but memorized.

But sometimes you don't just hear with your ears, but the Lord is kind enough to help you hear with your heart, and that's what happened to me on Sunday. It's as if He said, "See? This. I've told you, and I'm telling you. Listen."

The Right Place at the Right Time
And I did listen. Why? Because I was at church and that's what I was there to do anyway.


I don't know if I'm saying this well; what I'm trying to say is: God can speak to us any way He pleases. But I think many times it pleases Him to speak to us in the ordinary ways, in the established modes: in church, in scripture, in "hymns and spiritual songs".

My husband can call me on the phone in the middle of the work day if there's something urgent to communicate. But more often, we talk at the normal, established times: when we wake up, when we have dinner, in that quiet hour after the kids are in bed.

And our prayer life is like that to. If we're doing what we're supposed to be doing - praying regularly, attending church regularly - then we're holding open times and spaces when God can easily speak to us, because our attention is already turned towards Him. Sometimes those times and spaces won't be full of divine revelation, sure. Sometimes family dinners don't hold any profound communication either.

But the space is there for it when its needed. That's the point.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell