JOHN 6:21
Most busy days, we often utter quick prayers for needs of the moment. And surely God answers many on-the-run prayers.
At other times it seems God does not hear our petitions even when we spend hours. Where is God at such times? Is it any wonder our prayers sometimes seem to return empty?
The disciples of Jesus had been rowing furiously but were making no headway on the Sea of Galilee. They were stranded in the middle of the stormy sea. Jesus approached them, walking on the water and they were afraid until He assured them it was He. As they receive Him into the boat, immediately (without delay) the boat was at the land to which they were going. (John 6:21)
There are certainly reasons why prayers are not answered by God (known and unknown). And we cannot even coarse Him to tell us why. But we must ensure we always have the Lord Jesus in our boats so we do not have to fight to reach our goal.
When we are trying hard to make something happen – even by prayer – it is often like rowing in the middle of a stormy tossed sea. Instead of rowing with all our might, we need to stop our frantic efforts and look for Jesus. What we need to do in order to reach our destination is to receive Him into our boat. When we humbly receive Him, we can expect to reach our destination with Jesus by our side.
For those times when we do not immediately reach the goal, Jesus will stay with us, and we can rest in Him and draw from Him for the journey.
“With Jesus in my boat I can
Smile in the storm [3]
With Jesus in my boat I can
Smile in the storm
When I’m sailing home
When I’m sailing home [2]
With Jesus in my boat I can
Smile in the storm
When I’m sailing home”
