Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

This past year has taught me more about prayer and seeking God than maybe the two whole decades of following Jesus prior. And I will say very little of what I’ve learned has come through ways I would consider preferable. Yet, after many frustrated, confused, sometimes even angry prayers that have felt mostly unanswered at times, I am more convinced of God’s goodness and providence than ever before.

As Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Romans, he shares a genuine, heartfelt prayer request with his friends. He is headed to Jerusalem to deliver a love offering to the church there, but he knows it isn’t going to be an easy trip. We read in Romans 15:30-32 “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea... so that by God’s will I may come to you (in Rome)....”

Now, hang on to that request and go back a few pages with me to the books of Acts. Luke tells us about Paul’s trip to Jerusalem in Acts 21. Here is a quick excerpt... “Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. And as they were seeking to kill him...”

So much for answered prayers. I don’t know about you, but few things have shaken my faith like desperately seeking God through prayer just to feel ignored, betrayed, and left alone. But let’s finish the story.

“And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort (Roman government official) that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains.”

It was this arrest in Jerusalem that would lead Paul to eventually be put on trial. Can you guess where? Rome.

If you stop the story too early, it would be easy to think that God really missed that prayer. Paul is not delivered from the unbelievers; he’s jumped and beaten by them. He’s not greeted with peace; he’s mobbed and misunderstood.

But when you trace the story out, you can begin to see God weaving together a picture no one could have imagined.

Paul’s prayer was not ignored. It was answered, just not in the way he expected. He was delivered from death at the hands of the unbelievers. He did go to Rome. But it happened through the path of imprisonment, trials, and hardship. What Paul couldn’t see when he wrote Romans was that God’s plan to get him to Rome would unfold through difficulty, not ease. God’s perfect will was still being accomplished—just not on Paul’s timeline or terms. It was these difficulties that led to an even more powerful proclamation of the Gospel. That is the beauty of God’s providence.

This is a powerful reminder for us when our own prayers seem to go “unanswered.” Often, we ask God for protection, provision, or guidance with a specific outcome in mind. But God, in His wisdom, may allow a different path—one that stretches our faith, deepens our dependence on Him, and ultimately fulfills His purposes more fully than we could have imagined.

God always hears. He always answers. But He doesn’t always answer how we prefer. He answers perfectly.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
  
• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
  
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises? 
  
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you? 
  
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.