May 19th
"Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder...Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, "Praise be to the Lord,...who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness."
Genesis 24:15, 26-27
Every godly prayer is answered before the prayer itself is finished-"Before he had finished praying..." This is because Christ has pledged in His Word, "My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name" (John 16:23). When you ask in faith and in Christ's name-that is, in oneness with Him and His will-"it will be given you" (John 15:7).
Since God's Word cannot fail, whenever we meet these simple conditions, the answer to our prayer has already been granted and is complete in heaven as we pray, even though it may not be revealed on earth until much later. Therefore it is wise to close every prayer with praise to God for the answer He has already given.
"Praise be to the Lord,...who has not abandoned His kindness and faithfulness," (See Dan. 9:20-27;10:12.) from Messages for the Morning Watch
When we believe God for a blessing, we must have an attitude of faith and begin to act and pray as if the blessing were already ours. We should respond to God as if He has granted our request. This attitude of trust means leaning upon Him for what we have claimed and simply taking it for granted that He has given us our request and will continue to give it.
When people get married, they immediately have a new perspective and begin to act accordingly. This is how it should be when we take Christ as our Savior, our Sanctifier, our Healer, or our Deliverer. He expects us to have a new perspective, in which we recognize Him in the capacity and the role we have trusted Him for, and in which we allow Him to be everything to us we have claimed by faith. selected
The thing I ask when God leads me to pray,
Begins in that same act to come my way.
