John Paton and Prayer

I recently started a book by missionary John Paton called Thirty Years Among South Seas Cannibals.  I am only a few chapters into it, but already, its story is captivating, while at the same time, an example to learn from.
Paton describes a particular event during his growing-up years in which there was practically no food in the house.  His mother’s actions in response to  God’s direct provision left a lasting impression on John's young mind, as well as his spiritual life.  He says:

“My mother, seeing our surprise at such an answer to her prayers, took us around her knees, thanked God for His goodness, and said to us: ‘O my children, love your Heavenly Father, tell Him in faith and prayer all your needs, and He will supply your wants so far as it shall be for your good and His glory.”  (pg. 50-51)

And it really is true.  Praying with those two things in mind—that God will answer according to what is best for us and that He will do it according to His glory—very much affects our perspective when we see God answer prayer in ways that may not be quite what we expected!

So often, we like to think that God acts identically, given identical situations.  But He does not.  Case in point, in discussing the very courage that Paton had in trusting God’s promises and His sovereignty,

“How do you claim the promises of God for protection when your wife was equally faithful but, rather than being protected, died; and when the Gordons on Erromana were equally trusting in those promises and were martyred?  Paton had learned the answer to this question from listening to his mother pray…. This is what Paton trusted God for in claiming the promises: that  God would do what was for Paton’s good and for His own glory.” (pg. 24-25)