God is Good

“God is Good,” we can say it and pray it confidently!

In listening, hearing and mediation, a spiritual sacrifice is slicing fervently at sin’s selfishness to commune with the Creator.

The general response to the above being said is, “All the time,” which brings this response: “and all the time God is Good.” Jesus said that “No one is good—except God alone” (Luke 18:19). This is important to know because when it comes to what is best for us, we know that only God, by definition, knows what is good for us. One of the primary means of us understanding this is through the process of prayer. It is that line of communication between us and God.

We enter the realm of His holiness, in a dimension yet unknown, uncorrupted by temporal limits of verbal pontification. It is unhindered by the natural laws of logic or human ingenuity.
He knows before we ask, but He tells us to ask. “Ask and it shall be given to you…” says Matthew 7:7-8.   He alone can hear our prayers and it is He alone who can answer our prayers.

It is the soul’s supplication, deeper words and higher than any hallelujah. It’s the essential core of communication from this world to the next.

Here are a few types of prayers mentioned in the Bible…

• Prayer of Worship – Hebrews 13:15 & Revelation 4:11
• Prayer of Thanksgiving – Psalms 100:4
• Prayer of Faith – James 5:13-16
• Prayer of Intercession – Daniel 9:1-27
• Corporate Prayer – Acts 12:5-18
• Prayer of Consecration – Matthew 26:26-27
• Prayer of the Holy Spirit – Romans 8:26-27

And though there are many ways we can pray, ultimately it is God who is good, who knows the best for us, whether His answer will be yes or no, and whether His timing will fit into our schedule or not. It is He who chooses or allows.

Prayer is where faith and sovereignty compose a delicate dance of causing or allowing. Yes, prayer is beyond our feeble understanding, yet made available to that willing heart through humble submission.

But here is the final prayer in the Bible which I would like to close with, “Maranatha.”  
Some of the references are in Matthew 10:34, Matthew 25:1-13, Luke 12:51, Luke 21:28, Luke 12:35-40, and of course Revelation 22:12.

I often hear this as a, “Beam me up Scottie moment,” or an “I’ve had enough! Get me out of here,” type of thing. And the above verse carries the idea of asking the Lord to come quickly. But why is it traditionally considered the last prayer in the Bible and is it actually a waving of the white flag of surrender?

Let us pray, let us listen, let us wait, and let us take hold of His will for us, as we petition from the depravity of our lives, desperately needing rescue, reconciliation, and reassurance so that the wellness of our very existence should continue. After all prayer is love’s most compassionate anchor!

Remember, as I said at the outset, God is good and we can have implicit confidence that He knows and has the best timing for all things, including our exit and His return. Therefore “Maranatha” is His reminder that not only will God be there on time, but it will be at His perfect time. And that moment will be instantaneously better than anything we have ever known.  So, let us find that joy in whatever circumstance, knowing that because of His goodness, He has allowed or caused us to be right where He will find us.  “Count it all joy!”


-Pastor Angelo Frazier