It's Too Late

My wife and I walked into the hospital waiting room that had been set aside as a prayer room for family and friends to cry unto heaven on behalf of a young mother waiting to give birth again. She had previously given birth to a beautiful little girl who was at home eagerly waiting for the arrival of this new little baby that would make her a big sister.

We found the last two empty chairs left in the waiting room and sat down. There must have been ten, maybe twelve people praying silently for this precious gift from God. I noticed about three people reading the Bible; no, they were searching for any scripture they could find that sounded like it might be a promise in God's Word they could claim for this child.

A few days earlier this young mother received some bad news during her last check up. The baby's heartbeat couldn't be found. Maybe he was just turned wrong inside the womb not allowing the sound to be picked up, but for whatever reason it wasn't there. Five days before it sounded strong and healthy. Now … nothing … except worry and fear.

So this young mother, now in induced labor, had the church praying for the miracle of a heartbeat as she gave birth to her second child. Would God the Father or the Lord Jesus Himself through the power of His Holy Spirit answer all the cries sent up to His throne and start this small heart beating again?

I certainly didn't know what to do except pray. My wife and I went through this same situation years ago when our daughter was told her first baby's heartbeat couldn't be found. We prayed just like all these friends and family were doing … but it wasn't to be, he died in her womb. She had to deliver through her tears a dead baby. And now was this result going to be the same?

By now you may be asking … "Why is he writing about past history now?" I really don't know; I just felt prompted to. I believe it has to do with the thought behind the title of this article … "It's Too Late."

No, it's never too late to pray. You can always ask God for help. Who knows, He just might do the unexpected … like answer your prayer.

What I mean by … it's too late … is covered in the story of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25:1-12. It's the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise and five foolish, teaching the necessity of being constantly prepared not just to meet the bridegroom as in the parable … but I believe teaching to be prepared for anything that confronts you in life.

Prepared for anything … can we be? Take the case of this young mother. With out judging anyone (for only God knows where we are at spiritually) friends and family were praying, searching the Word looking for anything that resembled a promise they could hold up to God and say … "Lord, You said this … please honor your Word."

I realize this sounds hard and perhaps even judgmental … I don't mean for it to be. But I don't know how to say it any other way. It was too late. It was not too late for God to answer out of His grace and mercy; He can do that anytime He so chooses. But it was too late to try and fill ourselves with God's Word. It should have already been there. It should have been part of who we are as God's people. I am also including myself with the others who were praying.

I'm sure each one of us on a daily basis tries to follow what we believe the Word of God instructs us to do. Things like the following …

Mark 12:30 … "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."

John 15:7 … "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

1st John 3:22 … "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

1st Peter 3:7 … "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

Now, setting aside for a moment "God's Will" concerning the outcome of this baby … I sincerely believe many of our prayers are "hindered" just as Peter stated. They can be hindered in many ways, not just from things done or not done in the marriage relationship. There may also be things done in word or deed that even "hinder" God from answering like He wants or as soon as He wants.

Our attitude, pride, sin, anger, indifference to God, growing cold spiritually, or maybe just being uncaring about other people; all these types of things and many more like them can cause our prayers to be hindered or worse yet, in some way hinder God from answering them. No, we aren't perfect … God takes that into consideration, which perhaps is one of the reasons why the writer of the Book of Hebrews says … "Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us." We need it.

I want to ask you … would I be wrong in saying if you don't love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; if you don't have God's Word abiding in you, if you don't do those things that are pleasing in his sight … then your prayers are going to be hindered. I don't believe I am. Does weak faith result in weak prayers? You decide.

If I am right, then at crunch time when it really matters … "It's Too Late."

Now back to "God's Will." I'm so thankful that the answer, the result we receive through prayer is not 100% dependent upon only us. I don't know about you, but I am up and down sometimes in my faith level or what I can really believe in.

Dr. Del Tackett in "The Truth Project" asks this question … "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" Think about that.

In this hospital waiting room was God dependent on our faith? Was His answer hindered or changed because of our faith or lack of it? Was "His Sovereign Will" performed in spite of what we believed? I don't know. I do know God is not dependent on anyone, nor does God owe anyone anything … not even grace or mercy. When given it is always from the goodness of His heart.

What if some of those in the room realized that we needed more of God's Word in our lives as we prayed for this baby? Was it too late right then for more? Were some making new promises to God? Were some trying to talk God into moving? What if some in the room could not or would not believe?

The Apostle Paul gave us the answer to this last question in Romans 3:3 … "What if some did not believe and were without faith? Does their lack of faith and their faithlessness nullify and make ineffective and void the faithfulness of God …?"

He also wrote in 1st Corinthians 1:9 … "God is faithful … and can be depended on."

It's almost a paradox … I believe God wants to work "with" our faith but has not limited Himself to only work "through" our faith. Quite frankly, if God could only work through our faith not much would ever get done. But He has chosen to partner with us through prayer to accomplish … "His Will" on earth.

And so we pray.

But having said that, God has also reserved the right to step in or step out … any time … He so chooses. He can heal, save, restore, bless or answer any time … if He so chooses.

He can also start a little baby's heart beating again. But in this case … for what ever reason … God chose not to; even with all the prayer that was sent up to Him.

Even so … all is just and right.

"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord."