When You Need an Answer from God—But You Fear It Won’t Come

Posted on Jan 19, 2017 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Kay Arthur

Have you ever been embarrassed or even afraid to pray for specific things for fear God wouldn’t answer your prayer?

I have.

My husband, Jack, and I were missionaries in Mexico and had taken a group of English-speaking teens on a weekend retreat. That night as we sat around the campfire and I taught, God really spoke. Several missionary kids who thought they were saved came to the Lord that evening.

Well, you can imagine the joy in the tent that night. The girls were at fever pitch when all of a sudden we heard a loud, agonized, “Oh no! I’ve dropped my contact lens! My parents will kill me!”

Contacts weren’t disposable in those days, and they were expensive. This was a brand-new one Gail had gotten to replace another one she had just lost. Replacing contacts is hard on missionary support funds!

Just that quickly, we were all down on our knees with lanterns held above our heads as we looked in green grass for a green-tinted contact. As I crawled in the grass, God reminded me that I had just been teaching these teens about His attributes and His ways.

Ask Me to find it, came the thought. Ask Me in front of the girls.

But Father, I prayed silently, what if I ask You and we don’t find it? How will that look?

I went back to my searching, but I couldn’t help thinking, He does know where it is because He is omniscient, all-knowing. There isn’t a thing hidden from His sight.

Still I resisted. It was just too risky. We might not find it, and then how would God look? I didn’t want to risk His reputation in front of ones so young in the faith.

Well, God won. I called the search to a temporary halt, and there on my knees I prayed aloud. As I did, I fervently reminded God of every promise I could think of that related to our plight.

After I finished, we continued to search for a while. When I was almost ready to tell God I never should have prayed aloud, Lily let out a hysterical yelp. “I found it! I found it!” Tears poured down her face.

Of all the teens, none was more exemplary in behavior or zeal for missions than Lily. But after the lesson around the campfire, Lily realized she really had never been saved. So there in the dark the transaction had taken place. Lily passed from death to life, from the power of Satan to the kingdom of God. She received forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified (see Acts 26:18). She had been coming into the tent to tell us, when Gail went into hysterics over her contact.

While I was on my knees looking for the contact and wrestling with God about praying aloud, Lily was praying, God, You have never directly answered my prayers all these years. Now that I am Yours, prove it by answering this prayer. Let me find Gail’s contact.

Oh, what a precious Father we have! It delighted God’s heart to confirm her salvation in an answer to very specific prayer.