People say: “God didn’t answer my prayer,” when what they probably mean is, “God didn’t say ‘yes‘ to my request.” I feel quite annoyed about it, and I want to say, “You’re wrong! God always answers prayer, ALWAYS.” Just because He did not say ‘yes‘ does not mean He did not answer you. Did you actually listen to Him BEFORE you prayed, to hear what He was thinking?
Psalm 37:4 & 5 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” How do we marry that word with a ‘No‘? If a child in your care wants a drink from a bottle of disinfectant, because it’s such a lovely color, I suggest your answer will not be ‘yes’, no matter how much of a ‘heart’s desire‘ it is. Not because you want to frustrate the child, but because you care for his welfare. You might say, “Not that, but this.” Don’t you think God might have a few answers like those for us?
Ps 84:11b” . . . No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly/live a godly life / walk in innocence.” Have you read the small print after the asterisk? It says, “conditions apply.” If God’s answer to a prayer is, ‘NO’ then either I have something I need to get right with Him, or else it is not ‘good‘ for me. God is not a ‘genie of the three wishes’, for which we should be ‘heart-featly‘ glad (and would find it easier to be, if we knew as much as the Eternal Now).
But we humans don’t always give in too easily about the ‘desires of our hearts.’ We think we know best. I have a ‘caution’ about being determined or demanding of God. It is written onto my heart with indelible ink. The church in which I grew up had a strong choir, and we used to chant the Psalms morning and evening, Sunday by Sunday. I still remember the first time I ever sang Psalm 106:15 “He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls.” It still sends a shiver down my spine. It would be an interesting exercise to look back and see how disastrous it could have been if God had acceded to some of our ‘good ideas’ without applying His ‘conditions’.
“Wait” is also a reasonable answer. Waiting isn’t our favorite sport, is it? We want instant heat, instant coffee, instant gratification of all our desires. If you want to know something about ‘waiting‘ for the promises of God, have a read of the whole of chapter 11 of Hebrews, and think especially hard about the last two verses. You know that fridge magnet that says, “God, give me patience. BUT I WANT IT RIGHT NOW !” Patience has to be learned and practiced, and sometimes His ‘wait‘ answers are part of the lessons.
When humanity was created, God made us in his own image. The disobedience we learned from our first parents has marred that image. God is the only perfect parent. Do you know what God’s long-term plan is for your life? It is NOT to grant a spoiled child everything they pout for. In His dealings with you and me, God’s main aim is to restore His marred image in us, to make us more like Jesus. Romans 8:29(GNB) ” God . . . set us apart, to become like His Son, Jesus.” 2 Cor 3:18(Way) “. . .We are hourly being transformed into His likeness.” 1 John 3:2 (GNB) “. . . we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He really is.”
Just remember God always answers prayer. Try the discipline of listening to God, before, during and after you pray. And you can be sure, whatever His answer, God has your well-being and your hourly transformation into the likeness of Jesus, clearly in mind.
It is up to us to trust God.
After all, in Jesus we KNOW Him, don’t we ? ——- Geraldine E. Foster
