October 17: Insight Post by Michael Thayer

  -   October 17, 2025

God’s Response is Always for Our Good: Jesus teaches that God answers prayers in ways that are ultimately for our benefit, even when we don’t fully understand. He desires to bless us with what is best for us.

Friday Verse

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Friday Questions

How can I trust that God’s answers to my prayers, even when unexpected, are always for my good? How can I align my prayers more with His will?

Friday Insight Post
by Michael Thayer

In one of this week’s Bible passages, Luke 11:1-13, the disciples were present when Jesus was praying, and they asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus provided guidance, a teaching that led to the Lord’s Prayer that we continue to pray today. How amazing it would be to have an important spiritual question and be able to lean over and ask “Jesus, saw you praying there, please show us how.” From time-to-time Rusty says during his messages how much he looks forward to one day being able to ask Jesus certain questions, the answers to which evade all of us here on earth. What questions do you look forward to asking Him? I can think of many.

One of today’s questions is “How can I align my prayers more with His will?” In our other passage this week, Matthew 6:6-13, Jesus counsels that we should pray “…your will be done…” Until that wonderful day when we meet our Maker, aligning our prayers with His will requires that we pursue an understanding of His will, and how it applies to us in our lives and our spheres of influence. As we stay rooted in God’s Word and regularly gather in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we grow in understanding, confidence, and trust in our Maker’s will—for our lives, for others around us, and for the resources He has entrusted to our care.

Our second question for today is: “How can I trust that God’s answers to my prayers, even when unexpected, are always for my good?”  What if we read today’s verse as relating to the collective good (good for all of us), as opposed to an individualistic good (good for just me)? “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God…”  Romans 8:28 (NLT) I certainly am not a biblical scholar, but I wonder: what might happen in our hearts, our communities, even across the world, if our prayers aligned with God’s will for all of us? Imagine the impact on all those who love Him, even those who don’t yet know him. Might we act toward, and relate to others in more Christlike and loving ways – ways that truly honor our holy Father?

Michael Thayer
Leadership Team Member

New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org