Before they call, I will answer. Isaiah 65:24

Sometimes we get an invitation that asks us to let the host know if we're coming. The card often has "R.S.V.P.," a French abbreviation for "please respond." God invites us to pray and promises to answer every one of our prayers. Isaiah tells us that sometimes God answers even before we ask! This may seem impossible, but remember that we pray to a God who is able to do all things.

Does the Savior know all our needs and wants? Surely He does, but He still invites us to pray about any and all of them. God is capable of granting us anything He wants to and fully answers all our petitions according to His good and gracious will.

Naturally God does not desire to grant His beloved children things that would harm us, so at times He is compelled to answer no. But He always answers, and always in our best interests, just as a loving father will answer his child -- sometimes yes, sometimes no, and even sometimes wait -- but always in love.

Notice how in the Lord's Prayer Jesus encourages us to call on our heavenly Father for all things, especially for our spiritual needs of forgiveness and deliverance from evil. God always replies, and it's always for our best!

PRAYER: Grant, dear Father in heaven, that when I pray I accept Your reply in faith and trust Your good will. Amen.

(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)

Today's Bible Readings: Proverbs 19-21    Acts 3

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