"God answers sharp and sudden on some prayers, And thrusts the thing we have prayed for in our face, A gauntlet with a gift in it"

This quote by Elizabeth Barrett Browning talks to the idea that sometimes God answers our prayers in unexpected ways. It recommends that God can be both generous and challenging in his action to our prayers. He might offer us what we requested for, but it might come with an obstacle or a test. The phrase "gauntlet with a present in it" implies that God might give us something we requested for, but it may include an uphill struggle or challenge that we should get rid of in order to receive the present. This quote motivates us to be open up to God's answers to our prayers, even if they are not what we expected. It reminds us that God's responses may include a challenge, but that the reward is worth the effort.