In his epistle to Moroni, Helaman described the precarious position of his armies and their suffering because of insufficient supplies and reinforcements. He described to Moroni what they were praying for, and how God answered their prayers:
| What they prayed for | How God answered them |
|---|---|
| We did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people (Alma 58:10). | The Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him (Alma 58:11). |
Fatimeh Salleh and Margaret Olsen Hemming have pointed out the discrepancy between what Helaman and his people prayed for and the blessings they received:
As Helaman’s people pray, they receive peace, faith, and hope (v. 10). Yet what they asked for was strength, support, and deliverance (v. 9). Possibly, they hoped for manna at their doors or a lightning strike against their enemies. Instead, God gave them spiritual gifts. But this seems to have invigorated them and given them the imagination to think differently about their situation. While previously they believed they did not have enough resources to confront the Lamanites, in the following verses they use clever strategy to improve their situation. The gift of hope proved pivotal for them.
The Book of Mormon for the Least of These, Vol. 2, page 355
The lesson is clear: As you watch for answers to your prayers, don’t limit yourself to the blessings you specifically requested. Learn to recognize answers that you hadn’t anticipated. Pay particular attention to answers that empower you rather than change your circumstances.
Today, I will look for unexpected answers to my prayers. I will keep an open mind and heart to receive and appreciate the blessings God offers to me, trusting that He will provide the blessings I most need rather than the ones I want.
Thank you for this post. I’ve come to see these “answers” more often.
Thanks for the comment! I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the post.