Response To Answered Prayer

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Luke 5:13-15 Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, "Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed." But despite Jesus' instructions, the report of his power spread even faster..

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‍We serve a mighty and gracious God who hears and answers the prayers of God’s holy people. He has proved this to us over and over—personally and corporately. He does not always answer in the way and time that we want or expect, but He very often answers in a way that makes it unmistakable that it is from Him. Knowing that God answers prayer ought to spur us on to pray, to pray more, to pray more earnestly, and to persevere in praying more earnestly.

We tend to fixate on all our maladies and we quickly forget our many blessings, but we should never forget the myriad of healing mercies that we have experienced. Not only has He healed us from past illnesses, but He has also kept us from many diseases:

‍“If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord, who heals you” (Ex. 15:26).

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Of course, God answers prayers of all kinds. Ask yourself, how do you usually respond to His answers? When He gives you what you've asked for, do you acknowledge Him? Do you shout it from the rooftops? Does the "report of His power spread" because you cannot keep silent? Or do you simply send up a thank you prayer and move on to the next request? The only proper response is to glorify Him from a thankful heart. To glorify God is to extol His attributes and His actions. It is to exalt Him, to let others know how great He is.

I have to remind myself that “Praise the Lord” is not just a slogan or something nice to do; it is a command. If my life is not marked by frequent praise to God for His many blessings, I am not being obedient. While prayer will last for this life only, praise will continue throughout eternity. Those who have experienced Jesus’ cleansing power should glorify Him. Don't miss an opportunity to offer Him praise!