The inspired writer James said that wise people are “ready to obey.” Think of what that means. We should be eager and willing to obey those whom Jehovah has entrusted with a measure of authority. Of course, Jehovah does not expect us to obey someone who asks us to ignore His commands. (Acts 4:18-20) We may be more inclined to obey Jehovah than to obey a human. After all, Jehovah always gives perfect direction. (Ps. 19:7) That is hardly the case with humans who have authority. Even so, our heavenly Father has given a measure of authority to parents, government officials, and elders. (Prov. 6:20; 1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Pet. 2:13, 14) When we obey them, we are really obeying Jehovah. w23.10 6 ¶2-3

One way to strengthen our faith is by contemplating Jehovah’s power. He has the power to fulfill everything he promises to do. He is, after all, Almighty God. (Job 42:2; Mark 10:27; Eph. 3:20) He assured Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son in their old age. (Gen. 17:15-17) He also told Abraham that his descendants would be given the land of Canaan. During the many years that Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, were slaves in Egypt, it must have seemed as if that promise would never come true. But it did. He told Mary, a virgin, that she would give birth to his own Son, whose arrival Jehovah had promised thousands of years earlier in the garden of Eden​—another promise fulfilled! (Gen. 3:15) We strengthen our faith in Jehovah’s power to bring about the new world by reflecting on his record of making and fulfilling his promises.​—Josh. 23:14; Isa. 55:10, 11. w23.04 28 ¶10-12

Jehovah answered David’s prayers for deliverance. (1 Sam. 19:10, 18-20; 2 Sam. 5:17-25) We too can have that assurance. (Ps. 145:18) Jehovah may not answer our prayers in the way that we expect. Paul asked God to remove “a thorn in the flesh.” On three occasions, Paul prayed specifically about this difficult problem. Did Jehovah answer those prayers? Yes, but not in the way that Paul had hoped. Instead of removing the problem, Jehovah gave him the power that he needed to keep serving Him faithfully. (2 Cor. 12:7-10) We too may at times receive an answer that differs from what we expect. We can be sure that Jehovah knows exactly how best to help us. He can even “do more than superabundantly beyond all the things we ask or conceive.” (Eph. 3:20) For that reason, his answer to our prayers could come at a time or in a way that we do not anticipate. w23.05 8-9 ¶4-6