{"id":7587,"date":"2015-01-14T16:41:00","date_gmt":"2015-01-14T03:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.tandem.org.nz\/student-life\/?p=7587"},"modified":"2024-07-18T15:53:22","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T03:53:22","slug":"answer-to-prayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studentlife.org.nz\/2015\/01\/14\/answer-to-prayer\/","title":{"rendered":"Answer to Prayer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Do you believe that you play a role in God\u2019s plan? Do you believe that you\u2019re woven somewhere in that huge tapestry of His that runs as far as east is from west \u2013 a tapestry so large that no man could fathom it even if he had his entire life to study its workings?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, God\u2019s the master builder (1 Cor. 3:10<\/a>; Hebrews 3:4<\/a>); He\u2019s the author of authors; He created the concept of creating<\/em>. Jeremiah 29<\/a> teaches us that He has a plan for us. The whole Bible teaches us that planning is part and parcel with being God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know this, of course; yet too often, when we ask God for something and He grants it, we wonder, at least in part, if it was just a coincidence, if it was truly God. It\u2019s a troubling thought that\u2019s supported by the times when we ask for something and He doesn\u2019t<\/em> grant it. Argh!<\/p>\n\n\n

My own doubts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been writing a novel for some time now, but it hasn\u2019t been without its doubts. I sometimes wonder if God really wants me to write the book, or if it\u2019s just my wishful thinking standing in God\u2019s place \u2013 get my meaning? I wonder this despite the fact that, almost a year ago, when I asked Him for more passion to write, He responded within the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then, a month back, I did like the disciples and got all doubtful again. So again I prayed, \u201cGod, I don\u2019t want to do anything that doesn\u2019t honour you. I don\u2019t want to write a book if it doesn\u2019t come with your blessing. Please, please<\/em> reassure me that writing this book is in line with your will.\u201d I followed up that prayer the next day with something that went like this: \u201cGod, I know that writing is the vocation to which you\u2019ve called me, but it\u2019s hard working from home. So I pray that, one day, you\u2019ll grant me an office space in which to write.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The operative term was \u2018one day\u2019. It was a vague prayer, which, in my mind, would take years, if not decades, to be answered. It took a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following Monday my pastor offered me a vacant office at church. I hadn\u2019t even told him that I wanted one. Not to mention that he gave it to me for free! Now I even have a key to the building. Everyone\u2019s on holiday, and the place is mine! If this key sitting in my hands isn\u2019t assurance from God, then I don\u2019t know what is.<\/p>\n\n\n

Incidental vs coincidental<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

You know what a coincidence really is? A bad plot device \u2013 at least most of the time. If one day you choose to write a book, particularly a mystery or political intrigue, you\u2019ll want to avoid coincidences as often as possible. By this I mean the times when characters just happen to be at the right place at the right time to overhear conversations not meant for their ears. Argh!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fiction, a coincidence is generally a shortcut method for an author to get their characters informed so that the plot can move on. And the plot moving on due to that coincidence is exactly when we readers are given leave to grimace. It\u2019s the author turning up and saying, \u201cYes, I confess; I put the character there just so she could discover the revelation.\u201d It breaks the immersion because it\u2019s the author\u2019s job not to be noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To put it tritely, we glimpse the <\/strong>creator<\/em><\/strong> behind the <\/strong>coincidence<\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you spot a bad coincidence? Well, when it occurs for the sake of the plot, it\u2019s \u2018too convenient\u2019; it begs the question, \u201cDid that really \u2018just happen\u2019?\u201d No. More than likely, the author got lazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good coincidence, though \u2013 a coincidence done right \u2013 is supposed<\/em> to bespeak divine or supernatural intervention. Arthur, for instance, didn\u2019t get to be the only one who could pull the sword out of the stone and then declare, \u201cIt must have been luck!\u201d Gandalf, likewise, didn\u2019t get to return from the grave just as reinforcements were needed and shout, \u201cChance is on our side, men!\u201d So you and I don\u2019t get to have God answer our prayers and then wonder if God really, truly did answer our prayers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, unlike human authors, God is meant to be noticed, and so is His handiwork (Psalm 19:1<\/a>). Those bajillion stars in the sky don\u2019t \u2018just exist\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be too liberal<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

Now, I\u2019m not saying that coincidences, in their strictest sense, don\u2019t happen \u2013 and this is why we need to be careful. If two characters Leeroy and Leah don\u2019t fall in love, or become friends, or share any sort of relationship at all, then the fact that the author gave them names beginning with L<\/em> was probably just a coincidence. Similarly, if I asked God to prevent me from running over a cat, and then proceeded to not run over any cats, then it would probably not be so much God who cleared the road of cats for me, but rather that the road was already clear to begin with. Again, just a coincidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, pay attention to the events, but don\u2019t attribute every single event to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God is the Master Author, mind you, so it\u2019s only fair that He\u2019s also the Master of Coincidence. Every so often He lets fly some author magic to keep the plot moving. But sometimes He makes it obvious; He does like a lazy author and reveals Himself. Only, God isn\u2019t lazy; when He reveals Himself \u2013 when He writes in a coincidence \u2013 He\u2019s doing it to show us that He\u2019s there, that He\u2019s always there, and that His huge tapestry comprising our existence isn\u2019t some inflated random event, but is, in fact, very much planned.<\/p>\n\n\n

Authors like to be given credit<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

It\u2019s ironic: when we request something of God, we\u2019re basically asking Him to hand us a coincidence. We\u2019re asking Him for a dose of author magic. When nothing transpires, we make do, though our faith might wilt a little. But even when the coincidence does occur, we fail to credit God as its author, to see the Creator behind the coincidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my favourite (satirical) quotes comes from author Terry Pratchett. \u201cIn the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.\u201d<\/em> Pratchett isn\u2019t a Christian, but even he acknowledges that a story wouldn\u2019t exist unless there was someone to tell it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re all characters in God\u2019s book, and it\u2019s not easy noticing the pages when you\u2019re inside them. That\u2019s why we have coincidences; they\u2019re dead giveaways. The next time you\u2019re confronted with a locked door and you ask for the key \u2013 if it appears in your hand, trust that it\u2019s the Unseen Author throwing His arms in the air and saying, \u201cYeah, all right.\u201d And if it doesn\u2019t, trust Him anyway. He\u2019s got a more interesting plot prepared for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by Matthew Ferri<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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