Now, circle that phrase, "If thou wilt". You know what that word means in the Hebrew.. .those three words? God, if it's your will. It's in your hands. I've prayed for a child year after year after. I can't have a child but Lord, I want to be at peace with you. I want to rejoice whether you give me a child or whether you don't, but my life, my future, my all, is in your hands. What a beautiful prayer. So, she made a vow and said, "Lord, if it is your will, I would like to have a child". Now, I can identify with this verse. Lisa and I, for almost four years, have been praying for another child and I've not shared this with a lot of people... we've seen doctors, we've seen specialists, she's had surgeries, and I say, "God, please send us a child. I know we're not perfect, but I think we would make decent parents". But nothing. A frustrating time for us. Year after year, not another child. And some doctors would say, "Well, I'm not sure you can ever have children again". We've prayed about adoption but never really had a direct answer until recently. It's like God poured out His peace in our lives and said, "Ed and Lisa, listen, your lives are with me. I'm going to take care of you. It doesn't matter if you have a child soon or you adopt or if you never have another baby. I'm in your life and I will give you the peace that surpasses all understanding. I'll give you that compassion. I'll give you that love".
And you know what else God told me? And this is a biblical principle, many times, ladies and gentlemen, God answers our prayers later in order to answer them better. His ways are not our ways. When we say, "God, I want it now! God, we want a baby now!" But God says, "In my timing. I'm in control". And see, when we know Jesus Christ, He is our mediator. He is our Intercessor and even when we can't even articulate the words to God, Jesus takes our mumblings, many times, and puts them and enunciates our prayers to the Father. So, that's how we pray to the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. So listen, I can identify with this. Lisa had a miscarriage about two years ago.
Ed Young Fellowhsip shed tears. We've talked. But now, we've come to the point, "God, I'm going to rejoice if you give us a child through adoption through natural childbirth, or if we never have another baby, but I thank you".
