Some months ago, The Almighty inserted an epiphany into my mind. The event occurred when my family and I were outside playing in the back yard on a humid evening. The humidity resulted from the rain that had just arrived, which our church had prayed for. As we played, my legs kept getting bitten by the world’s tiniest vampires—mosquitoes. Though I’m from Florida, and Florida has tons of mosquitoes, I’ve never enjoyed these menaces. Winter brings us great relief, doesn’t it?!
Here’s what arose in my thinking as we played. I, along with the whole church, had prayed for rain, and the Lord sent that rain. He answers prayer—praise His holy name! However, mosquitoes love rain, for the extra moisture allows them to reproduce. Consequently, whether we knew it or not, by praying for the Lord to send rain, we also indirectly asked the Lord to increase the mosquito population. We could have prayed for moisture, while simultaneously praying against the increase of the mosquito population. Maybe we should pray that way! However, in God’s normal operations in governing the universe, more rain means more mosquitoes. By asking the Lord for good (e.g., more moisture), we also indirectly asked the Lord for trouble (e.g., more mosquitoes).
The moral of the story is this: prayer is mysterious, God is God, and we are not. His ways far exceed our own, and the Triune God answers prayer as He sees fit. So, let us approach God in prayer with humility and awe. May His sovereign plan reign and rule, mosquitoes included!
Pastor Chance
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