John 11:41
After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, “Father, I thank you for answering my prayer.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When my cousin J.D. lost his wife, Angie, to breast cancer a few years ago, he went to the funeral home and prayed over her dead body for more an hour and asked God to bring her back to life. He told me later, “Lazarus had been dead in the tomb for four days, and God raised him. I had to try…surely He could bring Angie back to me if He wanted.”
Lazarus was restored to life and my cousin’s wife was not. Does this mean that God gave Jesus’ prayer special consideration? Does God really hear our prayers and praises…and is it “worth our time” to offer them?
If you continue reading in John 11, you will see that Jesus offered this prayer of thanksgiving to God in front of a crowd of people, to demonstrate that He was the Son of God. He said in verse 42…”I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so that the people here would believe that you sent me.”
One thing that I find interesting…and possibly very important…is that scripture does not tell us exactly what Jesus said to God in His prayer. Jesus thanked God for answering…but we can only assume that He asked for the resurrection of Lazarus. Did Jesus pray for God’s will? Did Jesus ask God to do what He felt was best in this situation? We simply do not know. All we have is John’s account that Jesus thanked our Heavenly Father for answering His prayer…and then He ordered Lazarus to come forth from the tomb.
I recently served on a jury in a civil trial. The judge admonished us to only consider the evidence we were presented…and our own common sense and personal experiences as related to the case. We were not to add or remove anything else. We could only rule based on the facts that we were given. When we petition God and ask for a “verdict”, we must understand that He considers man factors and decides what is best for His plans – and for us. So if we apply this to the Biblical account of Lazarus’s resurrection - and to our own prayers and praises - we can present our “case” to God…but we must trust Him to answer in a way that is best for His purposes – and ours.
The key to this passage is the timing of our prayers. Do we have the faith and confidence in God to offer a prayer of thanks and gratitude before we know the outcome? Do we demonstrate our Christian faith…and do we genuinely believe that God will answer in the best possible manner – even before He does so?
Anyone can thank God after the fact. But when we begin to trust God in all things…and to operate in gratitude for His perfect plans in all circumstances and outcomes before they are evidenced…our Christian discipleship takes a leap to a whole other level. This is my goal…my desire…to be grateful in all things, even before I know the results. I want to operate in faith so profound that I never doubt God’s power and presence in my life. I want to believe that God could bring loved ones back to life if He desired…and to trust His wisdom in these decisions and others – no matter how great or small.
In John 11:40, Jesus asked Lazarus’ sister Martha…“Didn’t I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the glory of God?” I want to see God’s glory more clearly in all situations and circumstances…and I am working to grow in my faith so that I can. What about you?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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