"Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my cry of supplication. In the day of my trouble I call on you, for you will answer me."(Psalm 86:6-7)
The Psalmist's words betray a beautiful trust that God does answer our pleas. God does keep God's promises. Sometimes, it is hard to believe. I think this is often because we hold our vision of what the answer to our prayer will look like so close that we cannot see or recognize God's answer when it comes in another form.
But consider Peter in John 21. Peter had declared Jesus Messiah, had proclaimed his undying loyalty....and then he betrayed his Lord three times. I bet Peter simply wanted the chance to prove his love for Jesus. And this is exactly what Jesus provides. Three times he asks Peter to declare his love; three proclamations that erase the earlier three betrayals.
And yet, true love requires more than words. The real answer to "Do you love me?" lies in Peter's response to Jesus' command: Feed my sheep. This is what Jesus wants from his followers: that we love one another as Jesus loves us. God answers our prayers. God keeps God's promises. Because we love God, we do the same by: continuing in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, in the prayers. Resisting evil and returning to the Lord. Proclaiming by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. Seeking and serving Christ in all others, loving our neighbors as ourselves. Striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being.
We do with God's help.
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