Does God really exist and answer prayers?
Posted by John Okiyi Kalu | 10 years ago | 3,507 times
Image Credit: BBC News
1Samuel 2:8
(New Living Translation)
He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the LORD's, and he has set the world in order.
Growing up at Assemblies of God in Umuahia, my grandma repeatedly indoctrinated me with the above scripture and Proverbs 29:1 "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."
(American Standard Version).
Usually when I do something good in her sight she will tell me in Igbo, "jisie ike, chineke ha akwu gi ugwo olu...ana esi na ebe ikpofu ahihia bulie nwa ogbonye elu". (Well done, it is God that will reward you...the poor is lifted from the dustbin and set as king). But if I misbehave, as is so often the case, she will pull my ears and scream "onye ana abara mba otutu ugboro ya ana ekwesi obi ya ike, na otu ntabi anya ka aga etipia ya, ngwota adigh kwa ozo". (He that is often reproved and yet he hardens his heart shall be destroyed suddenly without remedy)
Hahahahaha!!
Naturally I remembered the "ntipia" verse (Prov 29:1) more than the one of lifting up from dust bin. We weren't exactly living in or near a refuse dump. And I can't remember any member of our family ever eating from the dust bin. So I didn't see how I should be concerned with being "lifted up" from the dustbin or refuse dump.
That was until today that the reality of that scripture hit me strongly while in church. Permit me to come back to it next sunday and share. For now, I want to share a story I first heard in 2001 and which was repeated today by my Pastor in church. It will better answer the question of "does God exist and does he answer prayers".
So does God truly answer prayers or we are just wasting our time?
There was this story of a young woman who was a devout and spirit filled, tongue talking christian living in an "mpucious" neighborhood like Festac in Lagos. She was good looking and wonderfully made by God all round, yet she refused to be like others. While the neighborhood boys will defile the other girls routinely, our sister refused to behave like others, even under extreme personal deprivation. Her parents were not wealthy but rather God fearing.
One day she was praying and fasting for some favor from God. It was meant to be what we call 6 to 6 prayer and fasting. Sister Nnenna (not her real name please) was firing prayers from her parents flat and the efulefu boys of the neighborhood were outside mocking her. Towards the end of the fasting Sister Nnenna loudly prayed to God to confirm an answer to her prayers by ensuring that after her fasting she will have choice food to break her fast and more for the next day. When the Efulefu boys heard her praying for "choice food" they quickly gathered themselves and chose to mock her.
Their plan was simple; let's go and buy Mr Biggs rice and Chicken and other food and keep them at her doorstep and have a good laugh out of her and her yeye God. Pronto, they contributed money, fanned out and bought cooked and uncooked food and then deposited them at sister Nnenna's house door and waited for her to emerge. Meanwhile Nnenna finished her prayers by reminding God of His promise that "whatever you ask in my name I will do". God must give her food as she completes her prayer session. She then opened her house door to come out after the prayer and low and behold there was food.
She thanked the faithful God, opened Mr Biggs pack to enjoy and the efulefu boys bursted out in laughter from their observation post. They told her they were the people that bought and deposited the food to mock her. She looked at them directly and answered; "my God used you".
Her story sounds a bit like Joseph's story. When his brothers were planning to sell him to Egypt they never knew they were being used by God. Today, I make a pronouncement based on my knowledge of the word of God that anyone who will try to ridicule you and your God this week shall be used by your God to answer your prayer in Jesus name. Go, work hard and prosper in doing good.
Ya gazie..... till next week when we will find out the truth in "aga esi ebe ikpofu ahihia bulie nwa ogbenye, ya na ndi eze eriko".
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