Often the help we ask of God in prayer coincides with the work He is already doing in us, and it rarely looks like what we imagined it would or should.It's all traffic cones and construction mess, and the unavoidable noise, delays and detours that result.  If we were only able to make the connection at the time, between what we originally prayed for and what is presently going on in our lives, we might rise up in inexpressible awe and wonder at the work God is doing in us.  Most often we don't recognize His hand in our discomfort.  If we did, some of us might actually sink into regret of ever asking for His help.Is God doing a great work in your life right now?  How do you know?Perhaps you are struggling with something, or suffering in some way (a sure sign).  Maybe you are feeling anxious and afraid, uncertain or uneasy.  If things are falling apart or if it feels as if your world is crashing down all around you, don't despair!The children of God are never alone.You may feel like a dead plant in winter, but your roots remain, seasons change and soon enough the sun begins to grow stronger every day, beckoning new life.Our God rules over all creation!Though He hasn't sown all of the seeds that take root in your life, God is willing and more than able to manage what grows.  Which came first, your prayer for help or the present manifestation of His loving and active work in your life?  You can't know for sure.But think of a garden.  The first thing the gardener does is loosen the soil, and that means upheaval!  Then he lets it rest for a while as he makes his plans and gathers his tools.At some point in those times of trial which are the fertile soil for real spiritual growth, God comes near to us and is profoundly present with us.But it always begins as it did with poor Elijah on the mountain where he encountered God's presence, with wind and earthquake and fire (1 Kings 19:1-18).  This is how you will know His coming to you:  as God draws near you are laid bare (like a tilled garden).'I am unclean!' the prophet Isaiah despaired in his own encounter with God, while lost in the train of the Almighty's robe which filled his vision of the temple (Isaiah 6).  Our sin and shame are always exposed by the approaching glory of God's unsurpassed righteousness.But (think back to Elijah), then comes...the quiet whisper.  God's raw strength and power having passed by, His forgiveness, peace and comfort, and the rest you find in Him, are all that remain.  Oh, and His instruction!Often it's at this time that you gain your own vision, as the purpose of The Lord's most unexpected visit to you is revealed; He is ready (perhaps after years of His preparation and your waiting) to complete some vital restructuring of your life, or to move you beyond that impenetrable wall in front of you, or to dig up the sin that is deeply entrenched within you so that you can see it for what it really is, repent of it and move on.Whatever the reason that God's Spirit is with you in this very real and near-tangible way, you can recognize His presence by that great insight - into His grace, mercy and peace - that always accompanies Him.  These costly and priceless blessings of the eternal, Heavenly realms are always available to you and indeed are yours because of your Savior Jesus Christ.  But suddenly they become crystal clear in your mind, in myriad ways that they never were before (and will not quite be again when The Lord's current bit of work in you is complete and He retreats to His normal daily task of strengthening, sustaining and leading you forward).Breathless, you see how His work in you has indeed answered your prayer!Always we find such experiences culminating in transformation - in a new understanding, a new direction, renewed purpose, and intensification of faith.  Like bright green, spring plants growing vigorously after the rain, we are stretched only so that we might reach maturity, flower and finally, bear fruit.