It seemed the consistent thing to do to share the last of my 2023 book reviews. This year I’m hopeful to read more NEW-to-me books. But how I love the old favorites! Do let me… More
Blog
Our Prayer-Answering God (when He says wait)
As we send up our petitions in Jesus’ name, He at times delights to answer “yes” to our prayers. At other times, He chooses to bring Himself glory by asking us to wait for our requests. His timing is perfect, and it’s possible to wait patiently in His strength.
“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way, Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.” (Psalm 37:7)
What is God doing while we wait on Him? He is always moving.
“In our barrenness, in the unanswered prayer,
we must know that God may be silent but he is never still.”
Christine Hoover
While we wait, we keep on worshiping and drawing strength from Him. We keep on praying, too. God is pleased when we keep persisting. He likes to be approached with our pleas over and over. That’s exactly what the widow did with the judge in the parable in Luke 18. She kept persisting in her cause, and Jesus told this parable to show His disciples “at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged” (Luke 18:1).
We persist in our petitions not with a demanding, selfish motives for, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.” (James 4:3) Instead, we keep waiting and praying with a grateful heart, a heart dependent on Him, knowing He’s not the God who MUST, but He is the God who can if He chooses. In the waiting, our desires can become more aligned with His.
It’s a gospel picture to the rest of us. To keep praying in the waiting is like demonstrating, “I entrust this to You God, even if you don’t solve this problem, I know you’re able, and I know you can. Not my will but yours be done!”
“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial.” (James 1:12) Waiting seasons provide a beautiful opportunity to practice trust and faith in God.
Often our waiting on God is a trial. We can pray for years and years for a health issue we may have. Or we can pray for politics that feel so out of our control. We can pray for war-torn foreign countries. We can pray for the salvation of a sibling or for a wayward child. We can ask God for our deepest desires, for a husband or a child. And all that waiting is definitely a trial, because we’re feeling the absence of something good. This provides a chance for our faith to be fruitful and genuine.
“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
I Peter 1:6-9
May our waiting seasons be found to result “in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” We wait on Him. Thankfully. Patiently and with hope. Because He also waits.
“Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.”
Isaiah 30:18
Our Prayer-Answering God (when He says yes)
There’s such good news about prayer – 1) It accomplishes much (James 5:16), 2) it gives us much-needed and enjoyable time spent with the Most High, 3) it changes our own hearts, 4) and He commands/calls us to pray because He loves to answer according to His will.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight…The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
Proverbs 15:8, 29
God always hears His children’s prayers. He hears our cries for help (Psalm 18:6). But do we always receive what we ask for when we pray? No, we don’t. “(God) works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). His sovereignty rules over all (Psalm 103:19).
Because He KNOWS all things and has all the power, He always answers our prayers with what is best! He works everything together for our good, and for His glory. He is the safest place to entrust our requests to, because He knows exactly what to do with them.
Sometimes He answers yes, other times He asks us to wait, or in other cases, he withholds what we asked Him for. But we still pray. And in those moments of waiting for our answer, we recognize WHO we pray to.
One of His names He’s given for us is – ABBA FATHER. Romans 8:15 says, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!'”
What an intimate title! John Macarthur wrote, “When you pray, start out this way: ‘Daddy, Papa.’” That, by the way is still used today in Hebrew-speaking families – a term of tender affection, family love – and rabbis used to note that the first words that a child ever uttered were abba and imma.”
Let me ask you this. Is anything too big, too silly, or too little for a daughter to talk to her Father about? No, a good father delights to listen to his child, and give her what He knows is best for her.
We have a literal father-daughter relationship with King.
Sometimes He gets glory by answering YES to our requests
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:8-11
This passage breathes hope into our prayer lives. A good father is a good gift giver. Earthly fathers should be a little glimmer of our Perfect Father.
Since we don’t pray perfectly, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf with groanings too deep for words. He helps us pray according to His will!
Prayer changes things, because God incorporates our prayers into His sovereign plan. “Prayer is what He uses to do what He does.” (MacArthur)
When a good gift drops in our life, no matter how big or little, it’s not a coincidence. It’s from the Gift giver (James 1:17). Often He delights us with good gifts, even before we ask. He’s so gracious. I don’t pray for my next breath, yet He is faithful to give it.
When He answers yes to our prayers, what a privilege to be part of God’s ministry all over the world. We can effectively participate in places all over the globe, and homes all over your state, and in hearts of people we don’t even know, simply by talking to God about them.
There are many instances of God answering the prayers of people throughout Scripture. Here are just a few:
“Noah prayed, his family was rescued. Hannah prayed, Samuel was born. Asa prayed, victory was won. Isaiah prayed, the Assyrians fell. Esther prayed, her people were saved. Elijah prayed, fire fell from heaven. Jesus prayed, thousands were fed. God answers prayer!”
Dustin Benge
He is pleased when we continue to come to Him with childlike faith and childlike requests. In the many ways we see Him answering “yes” to the prayers of the saints, we have amble material to constantly praise God for His mighty works.
Psalm 145:4
One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.
If you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, take great delight in praying. He has given us boldness to approach the throne of grace. A throne of undeserved favor!
“Jesus paid it all. I mean all. He not only purchased your forgiveness of sins and your ticket to heaven, He Purchased every blessing and every answer to prayer you will ever receive.”
Jerry Bridges
Next in the series: Our Prayer-Answering God (when He says wait)
A Fairytale of a Summer
How can one summer hold so much grace?
Reading familiar good books always feels like “coming home,” and I’m richer for having read several favorites again and many news ones. I also loved the thrift finds; maybe I’ll share about some of those another day.
Our garden produced a wild tangle of more tomatoes than we could dream of. I’m going to miss having a fresh tomato and fresh herbs to garnish any dish. The tomato soup and fresh pico! We also highly recommend limelight hydrangeas.
I’m so grateful for a lovely new sister and a wonderful new brother, added to our family within five days of each other! The early summer brought many enchanting evenings, all anticipating these two new marriages.
Speaking of marriage, we celebrated four years! Truly love him more today than ever (which was a statement I never understood before getting married). He is so many answered prayers all rolled into one man.
In our summer travels, I enjoyed the mountains and the plains (and the dear people even more). It dawned on me, walking the open dirt road flanked with farm fields, that the unbroken horizons prompt the same awe-filled worship as do the mountain-crested ones. God declares His glory in all His creation.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
Psalm 103:1-5
More Thoughts After Bookends
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Light, amusing, well-written glance into America in the 1960s. The Wednesday Wars is about the mishaps and misfortunes of a young teenager who loves Shakespeare and goes to high school in Long Island, New York. The author ushers the reader into the story so well, that eventually, I couldn’t wait for the book to be over because I didn’t feel like going to middle school any longer. 😀 The wording gets repetitive after a while, which was a little tiring. Also, his parents’ lack of involvement makes me sad.
Even though I’m not a middle-grader, I might check out the author’s other books.
A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18 by Joseph Loconte
Continue reading “More Thoughts After Bookends”
Thoughts after Bookends
Gilead by Marilynn Robinson
I heard big things about this author (Gilead won a Pulitzer), but the story just didn’t captivate me. It’s a memoir — a pastor writing letters to his son on his death bead, but he’s not actually bedridden. His son is still young at the time of his writing, and I wanted them to be out making memories together, rather than him just reminiscing days gone-by. I found it hard to follow the plot line, since there was little action. There were some thought-provoking faith statements here and there, and maybe someone else would really enjoy. Am I missing something? Because it sure wouldn’t be the first time I’ve missed something poignant in my first read through.
True Grit by Charles Portis
I’m not typically one for Westerns (wait, had I ever read one?), but True Grit is now a personal classic — both witty and brilliant. The main character, a 14-year-old girl, seeks vengeance on an outlaw responsible for her father’s death. Despite all the big shots, SHE is the one with the true grit. My husband and I listened together, and he wrote some fun thoughts on the book.
The narrator I found on Scribd (Donna Tartt) makes the experience, along with driving across the high desert plains and canyons as you listen (seriously, just start wandering around barren backcountry for the full western effect). The 2010 movie follows the book quite cleverly!
Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies
After reading Anne’s Frank diary, this book deepens the layers of the harrowing account of hidden Jews in Amsterdam. Miep and her husband made it possible for the Frank family to go into hiding. Her bravery shines through even though she forcibly shifts the spotlight off of herself in this detailed account. She said she just did what had to be done — even when it meant standing toe-to-toe with the Nazis. I recommend this book if you’re interested in true, home-front WWII courage.
How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife by Christine Hoover
Encouraging, convicting, and a blessing to read. Christine warns against comparison and bitterness, and highlights safeguards and boundaries for your marriage and children amidst ministry.
Millie Keith based on the series by Martha Finley
This purple-covered, eight-book series is really for teen girls, but reading them is like coming home to me. Something I cherished this summer. I wrote a post dedicated to the characters, The Company We Keep and also interviewed the adapter/author here.
This Tender Land by Kent Krueger
This Tender Land was a page-turner for me, and I enjoyed the quality description and the history nestled in the 1930s setting.
This story about kids, is certainly not FOR kids. The children meet a constant string of unsavory adults. This makes the storyline a bit depressing, though, unfortunately, realistic.
*SPOILERS — This Tender Land doesn’t detail anything explicit, but alludes to all manner of everything sinful. I found it sad that the orphans were, in a way, pursuing the one true God, but never found Him — never once did they find the Word of God. Lots of spiritual references and a theme of forgiveness, but no solid theology landed upon. All the “spiritual” adults in the story were plagued with phoniness and hypocrisy (like faked healings).
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Only my second novel by her, I’d love to read some more. We found the overwhelming amount of characters to be tedious and difficult to keep track of, as trekked along our cross-country roadtrip. I googled the lengthy list of characters. However, her writing is so vivid; it’s amazing how each character truly owns their own backstory and voice.
The Watchmaker’s Daughter by Larry Loftis
A biography about Corrie ten Boom, told in chronological order. If you’ve never read The Hiding Place, there’s no match for it, and I highly recommend reading it before any other biographies about the Ten Booms. You just can’t replace the soul-stirring, first-person, unfolding drama of The Hiding Place. However, The Watchmaker’s Daughter tells their story well, and includes some information and historical context that The Hiding Place does not.
Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt
I loved this book! It’s about the importance of children’s literature, laced with reasons and references from great fiction. It’s delightful and compelling. Her nods to Winnie the Pooh, Little House on the Prairie, etc. is like a little visit to the wonderment of childhood and provided fresh and practical inspiration for making my own son’s childhood sweet with honey. “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24
She includes lengthy recommended booklists in the back.
Transforming Power of the Gospel by Jerry Bridges
Transforming Power of the Gospel changed my life years ago when my dad gave me a copy, in response to a lot of wrestling with questions.
How do I be sanctified? God is sovereign, so how do I depend on Him but also walk forward in responsibility with the right motives? And why is not working? Why do I do the thing that I hate?
If you have questions like this, know the gospel is for every day. Jerry Bridges discusses the MOTIVATION for our day-to-day good works. Guilt that meets GRACE that outpours into gratitude. He beautifully illustrates this from the life of Isaiah.
MORE TOMORROW
Thank you for reading by book reviews. I always enjoy and welcome your recommendations and discussion on any of the ones you’ve also read! Isn’t it interesting how our perspective of a book can be shaped as we exchange ideas and takeaways with others?
Check back on the blog TOMORROW, because I have more recent book reviews, including Jill Duggar’s new book, and some of my favorites of all time!
Abigail Rehmert 