Misdirected Prayers
by T. L Wiens
Our pastor announced that a missionary had lost his wallet. He asked us to pray for the immediate return of this lost, most likely stolen article. Nothing within me felt at peace as the pastor bowed his head and asked for just that.
What if the wallet was gone for a greater purpose? Something within me said that was the case.
A few years ago, our house burned down. I can’t tell you how many people were more shattered than we were by this event. I knew losing this house was an answer to prayer. I was attached to the stuff and it stifled my Christian walk. God took it away. Everything in my life refocused as I realized how dependent I’d become on things.
But those around us saw the fire as loss, not only of stuff but of God’s blessing upon us. It saddened us to hear person after person repeat the same thing. We were rejoicing but few voices joined in with us.
How many times do we pray for the easy way out? How many times does God grant our pleas and deny us the greater blessing we could have had if we’d instead prayed for faith through the trial?
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Tammy Wiens
Tammy lives in Saskatchewan with her husband. They have four children. She enjoys gardening, walks along the beach and being on the farm. She has a passion for her faith, studying the Bible and prayer.
She has published two books; Where a Little Rain Comes Down and Making the Bitter Sweet. A short story, “May’s First Christmas” appeared in Christmas Chaos, a collection of stories about Christmas experiences that don’t make the fronts of Christmas cards. “Careful What You Whisper” is another short story about Tammy’s experiences after breaking her back. It can be found in A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider. Visit her website for more information about Tammy’s books and workshops.
