Sometimes we forget that God listens to the prayers of His people. God wants us to come to Him and talk to Him about our life and to ask Him about things and even ask Him for things that we would like to have. God also likes to answer our prayers when our prayers are in line with His great plans for us. I want to share with you an answer to prayer that came after 18 months of praying. There is a short story behind it that I hope encourages you.
God has blessed us greatly here in Northern Thailand and given us an incredible piece of land and an awesome building that is used as the home of Baan Athitaan Church, the home of Grace Language School, the home of Channel of Blessing Foundation, and the home of NTIM-Thailand. Shortly after we purchased the property and began to raise support and to plan where we would place the multi-purpose building God on that land, I noticed what I thought would be an obstacle for new people finding our building since it is a little off of the main road.
The obstacle was this very large tree on another person’s property that would be blocking the view of our building. That was about 18 months ago. So, I began praying and asking if God would remove this tree. I wasn’t asking for my own personal benefit. I was asking for the benefit of God’s work being more openly exposed so that people could find our building with greater ease. 1 month passed by and the tree was still there. 1 year passed by and the tree was still there. Still, I kept praying. 17 months passed by and this tree was still there. Still, I kept praying. I kept praying and asking God to remove this tree until yesterday – October 26, 2022.
I normally come into work a little early in the morning before the staff get there and yesterday when I turned onto the road to go to the property, my heart jumped out of my chest as I could see the building very clearly yesterday morning. Do you know why I could see the building more clearly yesterday morning? Because God answered my prayer after 18 months of praying and when I began to get closer to our property there were several people already working on the property across the street from us. Can you guess what they were doing? Yes, they were cutting the tree down that I had been praying to God about for 18 months. Here are a few pictures that I took yesterday morning and this morning.
God really does listen to the prayers of His people. Jesus wants to be the Good Shepherd in your life. He wants you to come to Him and pour out your heart to Him and ask Him to help you. When you seek Him with all of your heart, He will listen to you. It doesn’t always mean you will get what you ask for but sometimes it gives God joy to give His children some of the things they ask for. I am reminded today of Jeremiah 29:12-13 which says, “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Do you have some hardship or difficulty that you are going through and don’t know what to do? May I suggest you draw near to the Heavenly Father and seek Him with all of your heart and talk to Him about what is on your heart. You may need to come to Him in prayer only once. But sometimes you may have to come to Him often like I had to do the last 18 months.
But there is one thing I have learned over the 40+ years of being a follower of Jesus and that is the truth that God listens to prayers of His people when they come to Him in faith, in humility, and in dependence upon His grace. Another passage that came to mind was a passage I memorized over 30 years ago from Jeremiah 33:3 that says, “Call to me and I will answer you and will show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” God listens to the prayers of His people. Be one of His people who draws near to God and God will draw near to you as the Bible declares in James 4:8.
Please remember to keep us and all the people living in an around Northern Thailand in your prayers. Grateful and Happy to be Serving Our Awesome God in Northern Thailand for such a time as this. Until all of those in and around Northern Thailand have a chance to hear the good news.
From the Team in Northern Thailand, Michael Johnson
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Financial support can be given through NTIM….
Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA Main Website: www.gontim.org
NTIM is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in the USA. We are committed to connecting people in need with people who care and are focused in the heart of Southeast Asia where poverty is high, education is low, needs are great, unreached people groups (UPGs) are all around us, and the love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.
You can send donations to support God’s work to NTIM. All donations made to NTIM are tax deductible and can be made either online at www.gontim.org or mailed to NTIM, P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260
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