Data mining is an important tool for businesses and organizations to strategize and seek new opportunities and markets. For a business, it may entail reviewing customer purchasing patterns including location and mode of purchase, types of purchases, and items that were purchased together. Anyone who has done online shopping has witnessed a small sliver of what data mining can provide as an astute website will immediately flash product suggestions based upon one’s prior purchases.

 

Data mining does not have to be limited to businesses. Any collection of data can be mined.  My daily prayer list is outlined on a spreadsheet that is kept in a cloud based storage. Wherever I am, I have immediate access through an internet connection. As I reviewed my daily prayers, my eyes shifted toward the bottom of the page where all of God’s answers to my prayers were listed. Dozens of prayers over the last few years were listed with the answers. The thought occurred to me, what if I data mined my prayers? Could I understand myself and God with greater clarity and insight?

 

One immediate fact that was gleaned was not all of God’s answers were positive, in fact, nearly 20% were negative. But as I dug deeper, mining these negative answers, the exercise revealed even more interesting observations. Although God’s answers to my prayers were negative, within a few weeks to months after His answers, the reasons became very clear that God had my best interests in mind when He said no. One example was a client who had been with me for over 15 years. He abruptly left my practice and established a relationship with another consultant. I was about to call him and attempt to re-establish my relationship with him, but as I took this up in prayer, God very clearly spoke to my heart and said, “No. Don’t do this.” When I asked God why, He answered me through prayer, “I am protecting you.” I was disappointed since this went against every notion of what I thought I needed to do. But I was obedient and did not make the phone call. Several months passed and I later found out that his office was undergoing a serious schism with lawsuits, hurled between the former senior management and the physicians, alleging fraudulent billing practices. His office had degenerated into an ugly civil war and God protected me by preventing my name to be associated with that practice.

 

If we are faithless, He remains faithful —for He cannot deny himself.

2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV)

 

Data mining my prayers. God is faithful even when I am not. I question God’s answers to my prayers when I should be continuously thanking Him for faithfulness to me. Take time and review God’s answers to your prayers. Through the lens of time, you will see God’s promises to bless you!

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.