Last year, a dear friend of mine took a paper lunch bag and wrote “Answered Prayers” on it with a Sharpie. During the year, she jotted down each answered prayer on a piece of paper and placed it in the bag. 
On Thanksgiving morning, before she began any of her cooking tasks, she sat quietly with the Lord and opened her sack of answered prayers. Reading the scraps of paper, one-by-one, was a testament of the many things she could be thankful for. I imagine that, seeing them all together, is a humbling reminder of God working in our lives every day.
This idea sat with me and stirred within my heart. I decided that I would begin an Answered Prayers Bag of my own. Doing this has already given me a constant awareness of even the smallest of prayers that God answers. God is always with us. He’s certainly always with me. Isaiah 41:10
The challenges of recent years to my country (USA) and throughout the world with illness, leader changes, war, threats of war, poverty, lawlessness, sexual debauchery, child indoctrination, loss of rights, etc., has made prayer the only connection to the ONE who is truly in control. Anything man controls, he manages to damage.
I personally have had multiple life changes since I last added a blog to my website. Offering detail isn’t necessary. What is necessary is my understanding that, through these challenges, I can either focus on every raindrop, thunderclap, and lightning strike of a storm, or I can focus on the only ONE who calms storms. I choose the latter. I’m not ignorant of the fact that God’s answer to my prayers may not be what I want. He knows what’s best for me. Romans 8:28
Throughout my life, there have been many times when the answer I received from my Abba Father was, “No” or “Not now.” However, He did answer. In hindsight, I’ve always been able to see where not receiving the answer I desired, at the time, was absolutely for my good. And I’m grateful.
God answers prayers that most don’t really consider prayers. For example, your car may begin slipping on the road and you utter, “God help me.” Sometimes, all you manage to get out or think is, “Oh God!” But then your car straightens out and you breathe a sigh of relief. That was a prayer answered. I’m sure there are times when you don’t formally pray at all, but it’s on your heart and on your mind. God knows your heart. He hears your thoughts. He responds. Those are answered prayers. Romans 8:27
My personal goal is to become more dialed in and aware of God’s presence in my daily life; how He’s with me and working for my good, even when I don’t formal make a request.
I didn’t have a paper lunch bag. I found a gift bag. I determined that it was a perfect receptacle for my year’s collection of answered prayers. After all, isn’t God’s answer to our prayers a gift? I think so. I’ve already placed a few scraps of paper in my Answered Prayers Bag. While doing so, I immediately found myself offering a prayer of gratitude. The sense of peace I had was a blessing of its own. Wow! It truly does surpass all understanding. Philippians 4:7
If you’re reading this, I challenge you to begin a year of your own recognition of the prayers, spoken and unspoken, that God answers for you. Use a bag, a box, a jar, a basket, a coffee can; whatever you have. Take the action of writing it down and breathing a prayer of thanksgiving as you place it into your receptacle. Oh my, the peace you’ll feel with that Holy Spirit connection…
