In What Way Is Prayer Answered
Psalm 67
Well, that's an easy answer some might say. It's either Yes, No, or Wait. Okay. Done with this meditation. Next!
Hmmmm... Not so fast. A question that I have presented to myself has been, would Jesus have prayed this psalm? I admit that some have required some deep thinking, even deeper introspection asking myself in my human condition that I'd like to know that Jesus faced as fully man being in all points tempted like me it comes around to if Jesus then prayed this psalm as a prayer am I also willing to pray this psalm? If Jesus prayed that I would pray this psalm, Psalm 32 or Psalm 51, or others, how much do I long to pray that psalm as my prayer? These psalms definitely are in the will of God and far from selfish prayers. And does this psalm teach me to pray as I should?
Psalm 67 covers so many precious requests. Time and again the request is, let the people praise thee O God! That's after starting with let God be merciful unto us, bless us, cause His face to shine upon us. And still others like that others may know Your way upon the earth and Your saving health among all nations. And powerful such requests continue throughout the psalm. So I ask myself the question, could Jesus have prayed this psalm? There is no doubt He could have, but how was His prayer answered? Was it Yes, No, or Wait?
Did people, seeing He was sent to the house of Israel then the people of the children of Israel, did they all start right away to praise the Lord? Well, no, not all. We read that Jesus said, if you ask anything according to my will He will do it. So we might push it asking, Did Jesus know His Father's will or not? But then in considering that we might reflect upon Daniel 10 where Daniel prayed, immediately an angel was sent with the answer, but got tied up fightingthe prince of Persia and didn't make it to Daniel until three weeks later. So, was Daniel's prayer answered. Yes, immediately. But when did Daniel find out about the answer to His prayer? Three weeks later. The answer wasn't Wait. It was answered immediately. It was the learning of the answer that was delayed.
In consideration of this if Jesus prayed this prayer, and this prayer obviously according to His Father's will, it may have been answered immediately. But Jesus Himself also knew what He was going to do as He became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross, a battle had yet to be fought as part of learning the answer was Yes, answered immediately. In fact we learn in Revelation where Jesus is seen as a Lamb slain BEFORE the foundation of the world.
There is so much learned from looking at the life in Jesus in how He depended on His Father for deep intertwining times of prayer and refreshing for Him to live as fully man, yet being fully God. And also as seen here seeking to learn how our prayers are answered.