This one almost seems like a trick question! My first, knee-jerk reaction to this question is, "Of course, God always answers my prayers. It's just that there are times when he might not answer them the WAY I WANT him to!"
Or maybe you have heard in the past that God answers your prayer in three possible ways—yes, no, and wait. Perhaps.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. -Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
I'd like to suggest a more helpful way to look at this question, and so that you might remember these, let's let them all rhyme. Ready?
Here we go!
NO—there are times that God just simply says "no" to your prayer. This is crystal clear with the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
He says "no" when the IDEA is not correct.
After my first year of college, I remember thinking that I had possibly found the girl who would become my wife. But that summer, I realized this wasn't meant to be. I could have been upset with God, who I heard shouting, "No." But He knew what I did not know. He knew that I would meet this marvellous young lady by the name of Sharon only a few months later. The idea of my prayer was not right, and God said "No!" (Thank you, Jesus! I have now been happily married to Sharon for almost 45 years!)
SLOW—when the timing isn't right, God says, "slow." It's not that you don't have the right idea in your prayer; it's just not the right timing yet. Perhaps it's like fruit. If you pick a green banana off the tree and eat it, you won't love it. But, sometimes, God knows that we just have a little more time to wait.
For everything, there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 NLT
GROW—this is how God answers when YOU aren't right. The idea and timing may be okay, but you are not. Sometimes I think I know exactly what I need and when I need it. God can see that I'm being selfish, and if I received it now, it would NOT be in my best interest. There are times when I am praying for something that doesn't seem to be happening, and I can sense God wants me to ask, "Lord, is there something IN me that needs to change?" Is there someplace I need to grow?
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
Romans 5:3-4 NLT
GO!!—I love this one. When everything is right, God says GO! The idea is right, the timing is right, and you are right! These are the fun answers, and God loves to say yes!
So, what are you praying about right now, and what is God saying?
Challenge: Look back at the last year of praying and locate one instance each where God said "No," "Slow," and "Grow." What did you learn about God from each of those?
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NLT
By Pastor Mark Zehnder
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