Last Saturday my wife and I were playing a game with our son. The game had a spinner on which the highest number was eight and the lowest was one. About the middle of the game, my son was lagging behind and he said "I'll be right back." At this point he went to a chair in the corner of the kitchen and put his head down in his hands. We had no idea what was going on and were getting a little impatient, but waited for him to return. He came back to the board and said, "I prayed for an eight." My wife and I just looked at each other both happy that our son has enough faith to ask for God's help even in a game, but wondering what his reaction would be if he did not spin an eight. In my heart I was silently praying, "Oh Lord let it land on eight and let this be a small reminder to my son that you are the God who hears him and answers his prayers." He got a three. We quickly cheered for his three and said what a great spin that was, hoping to put off for now the question that five year olds and ninety-five year olds wrestle with, "Why didn't God answer my prayers?" In the end he never asked, we continued to spin and had fun playing out the game, which I won. When I finished first, despite my best efforts to manipulate my spin to allow him the victory, he said "you won, great job Daddy, now lets see who finishes second."

I thought about all the fun we had finishing the game and cheering for one another, and I wondered how many people get stuck on demanding to know why their prayer was not answered in the way they desired and miss the joy of finishing the game and celebrating with others?

So the lesson I was hoping to teach my son with his answered prayer turned out that his unanswered prayer (at least not the way he wanted) was an even greater lesson to me. Which brings us to another lesson, when I think God is trying to teach something to others He is often teaching something to me if I would just pay attention.