From Pastor Nate - Once again, I'm sharing something my dad put together for these daily devotionals. Rev David W. Preisinger has been an ordained Lutheran pastor since 1978. He's served congregations in Syracuse, Utica, and Albany, NY and spent 25+ years as an Assistant to the Bishop in the Upstate NY Synod. He currently lives in Clifton Park, NY.
Does God hear our prayers?”
“My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.” (Psalm 22:1& 2); “Jesus cried out with a loud voice my God, my God why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 15:34a).
I’m sure that all of us have heard or even said ourselves, 'I can’t believe there is a God, or God would not have allowed this to happen.' How do we make sense of these moments?
My parents lived in Namibia for 3 years where my father taught Greek at the seminary. The seminary was in a village on a small piece of land that was surrounded by two dried upriver beds. There came a point where their wells were drying up and the village leaders were talking about moving to another place. The pastor at the local church called for a prayer meeting. A few people came, they prayed, but there was no rain. It seemed God did not answer their prayer.
The pastor encouraged folks to come again and pray some more. My parents attended that meeting. They prayed.
The next day it started to rain. It rained for a week. The riverbeds filled with water and the village truly became an island. For the first time in 75 years there was enough water to make it to the Atlantic Ocean.
God did not answer the prayer when they first asked, but God heard the prayer. Sometimes it seems God ignores us but be assured our prayers are heard. We are not forsaken.
Does God hear our prayers?”
“My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.” (Psalm 22:1& 2); “Jesus cried out with a loud voice my God, my God why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 15:34a).
I’m sure that all of us have heard or even said ourselves, 'I can’t believe there is a God, or God would not have allowed this to happen.' How do we make sense of these moments?
My parents lived in Namibia for 3 years where my father taught Greek at the seminary. The seminary was in a village on a small piece of land that was surrounded by two dried upriver beds. There came a point where their wells were drying up and the village leaders were talking about moving to another place. The pastor at the local church called for a prayer meeting. A few people came, they prayed, but there was no rain. It seemed God did not answer their prayer.
The pastor encouraged folks to come again and pray some more. My parents attended that meeting. They prayed.
The next day it started to rain. It rained for a week. The riverbeds filled with water and the village truly became an island. For the first time in 75 years there was enough water to make it to the Atlantic Ocean.
God did not answer the prayer when they first asked, but God heard the prayer. Sometimes it seems God ignores us but be assured our prayers are heard. We are not forsaken.
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