Lessons in receiving answers

or,

A father’s lesson on talking to Father

I would like to share a personal story with you. When we were looking to buy a house we only had a limited amount of time to get into a house and needed the Lord’s help. We had prayed about one particular house and had asked the Lord if he would help us get it.  I felt assured that He would help us.

One day, as the deadline closed in on the time frame we needed, our mortgage broker called to say it would be impossible to get a loan on that house. I was crushed.  I believed that the Lord had told us He would help us get this house. Later that day I stopped by my mom and dad’s house and Dad was home alone. I told him the story and got a little emotional as I told him that I had felt that Father had told me He would help us get the house.  And now I had found out it would not be possible. He reassured me that if that was the case that there was a good reason for the way things were turning out. I said, through tears, “I know you’re right, but Father told me He would help us get that house if we wanted it and I want it! (Foot stomp) I just don’t understand and I’m sick of not understanding.”

Dad slowly stood up and asked, “Do you really want to know the answer? I know there is an answer, if you will ask, then listen.

” Yes,” I said, “ I want to know, no! I need to know.”

 I felt as though some part of my testimony was riding on it. “Then let’s go,” he said.

I followed him into his bedroom where he closed the door and said, “ This is what I think we should do.  I’ll pray, then you pray, then we’ll repeat this process for as long as it takes for you to feel that you have received the answer you need.”

He started a very heartfelt prayer on my behalf then closed it.  Without opening my tear filled eyes, I began my prayer and told Him of my feelings and how I was so hurt by the news that we couldn’t get a loan on the house I had wanted, after He had said He would help us get it. Then I closed my prayer. Again Dad began, this time slower, and as he prayed I felt thoughts and impressions filling my head. It was my turn again. My prayer was more thankful this time and my words were more thought out, as the thoughts and impressions continued to fill my mind and teach me. We each prayed three times and after my last prayer, which was a prayer of complete thanksgiving, Dad asked if we needed to go on. I said, “no.  I have my answer.”

Dad asked me to tell him what the answer was. I told him that first I had felt that the Lord rebuked me, the impression was, “I am God and by my power all things are and were created. I have all power and I have told you that if you wanted that house I would get it for you. But you let a man, a mortgage broker tell you there is no way and you choose to believe him over me.”

Second, “If this house is what you really want, it may not fall within the time frame you need it to, and  there are problems with that house that if you buy it now it will not be easy to sell later after the problems are made known.”

Then lastly was this impression,” Now, I said I would get you that house and if you still want it, it’s yours.”

As I look at this story I see some problems, first in the way I went about asking for help. Perhaps the better way to start out would have been to ask Father to lead me to a house that would be good for my little family. Then once I had found one I could have asked if it was right. Instead I jumped right to the “will you help me get it” prayer. Perhaps I needed to be dragged down this path to save my family from a bad investment. If we ask for something and are worthy to receive those blessings He may be bound to give us what we ask for instead of what is best for us or in other words like asking for brass, when He wants to give us gold.