When God Answers Prayers

An Open Door

I have good news! God is still in the business of opening doors. I know because He recently opened one for me.

After a long post-grad job search, I finally landed a new role and I’m too excited for this next phase of my career.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been overcome with all the feelings: shock, denial, relief, anticipation, elation. But in my sea of emotions, the biggest wave of all is gratitude.

While a younger version of me would’ve briefly lingered in this high before quickly moving on to the next goal post, this time feels different.

Almost immediately after receiving the job offer, the Holy Spirit laid a new prayer on my heart: 

God, use this job for your glory.

Blessed to Bless God

I’ve walked with the Lord for some years now and while there’s always more growing to do, I’m mature enough to know that I have no good apart from Him.

He owes me nothing and I owe him everything, even my new job.

I’m reminded of the story of Hannah and how she so desperately wanted a son. In the tension of her waiting, she promised the Lord that if He gave her a son, she would give her son back to Him. 

And she did. Hannah dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord and Samuel grew to be a prophet standing in the gap for the people of Israel.

Hannah understood the art of giving back to God what He’s given to us - and just like Hannah there are things God has placed in your hand that He wants you to dedicate to Him.

In a culture where everyone’s hyper fixated on hitting the next milestone, it’s so easy to receive a blessing from God, give thanks, then move to the next prayer point.

But the truth is that as believers, we’re not meant to just hoard answered prayers.

We’re called to bless God with the things He’s blessed us with.

In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head. 1 Samuel 1:10-11

Building a New Altar

I believe that when the Lord gave you your job, your degree, your marriage, your child, your community, your healing, your renewed mind, it was to further display His glory.

But even more, I believe that as God favors His children in this season, He’s also requiring us to place all of our answered prayers on an altar before Him.

When we surrender the blessings to God, we tell Him that we value Him and His will above our own desires. We rightly place Him at the throne of our lives and give Him room to have His way.

He who gives perfect gifts also has a purpose for those gifts. Our job in all of this is simply to return to Him what He’s given to us, so that He is exalted.

In this season, I’m deciding to give back to God what is rightfully His and my prayer is that you do too.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

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