Every no stings but a no from God is something else; because as far as we can remember we are taught that if we ask we shall receive (Matthew 7:7). So, it’s no surprise that when God doesn’t answer a prayer, in confusion we wonder, “but why?”, “what did I do wrong?”, “is there something that I need to repent?”. Even though sometimes a prayer isn’t answered because of a “why”, or perhaps because “something is wrong”, and surely some times it’s because there is a sin we have to repent first, I can’t help but wonder that some prayers are not answered just because they are not God’s will for our lives. Just because you want something with all the good intentions doesn’t mean God will give it to you. Yes, we should present our prayers to God at all times (Philippians 4:6), but we should also stay open to the possibility that if something is not God’s will it won’t happen.
How shall I pray?
Couple weeks ago I was reading the book of Daniel and I was floored by Daniel’s friends prayer. To set the stage for the next verses, Daniel’s friends are about to be thrown into a fiery furnace because they didn’t want to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. And this is the prayer the three friends pray as they are about to be thrown into the burning fiery furnace. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up”. Daniel 3:16-18
But if not.
Do you have but if not in your prayers?
But if not prayers surrender and trust God’s Sovereignty.
Three phase prayers
Daniel’s friends started their prayers by reaffirming God’s sovereignty! “Our God whom we serve is able…”. And the next phase, they ask the Lord what they would like Him to do, “deliver us out of the hands of the king”. Yes, asking is important! The third phase is the surrendering of our prayers to God and fully trusting Him to accomplish His will in our lives. We see this three phase prayer as well in Jesus’ prayer as He is about to be crucified.
Thank You for your sweet sacrifice dear Jesus.
“Jesus fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will” (Mark 14:36). Just like Daniel’s friends prayer, Jesus first acknowledged His father’s sovereignty. “All things are possible for You”; and then He presented His request, “Remove this cup from me”; and lastly but not least He whispers “not what I want, but what You want for me, Heavenly Father”. In His words He says “Yet not what I will, but what You will”.
- Acknowledge God’s sovereignty,
- In humility, present your request to our Heavenly Father,
- Surrender your prayer in His hands and fully trust Him.
A three phase prayer is so important to your soul, because even if God doesn’t answer your prayer the way you wanted Him to, you are at peace and really okay with it because you had surrendered it to Him in the first place.
No
There are graceful moments when the answer is simply a no, no matter how much you wanted your prayer to come to pass. As His crucifixion time was approaching Mark 14:33 says that Jesus “began to be greatly distressed and troubled”. And verse 34, He tells His disciples, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.”
Who said unanswered prayers don’t hurt?
In 2 Samuel chapter 11, we see probably one of the lowest of low in the life of David. David sleeps with another man’s wife, a wife of one of his general’s called Uriah, and he orders that he be killed in the battle. At the king’s request Uriah is killed and David keeps his wife as he had wished. 2 Samuel chapter 12, we see Nathan talking to David about the sin he had just committed, the sin of adultery and murder.
Aren’t you glad that God sees your worst and your lowest of low but still He loves you? Because this David is the same man that God called a man after His own heart! And God called David a man after His own knowing fully well all the actions David will ever make.
Thank You Lord God for your immeasurable mercy; where would we be without Your loving kindness? I am forever in awe of Your commitment towards us Father God.
Let it go and praise Him
David’s new wife bore him a son but God afflicted the child (2 Samuel 12:15). David does all he knows to do, “he fasted and went in and lay on the ground” (2 Samuel 12:16), and he even refuses to eat (2 Samuel 12:17). Nevertheless, despite all the prayers and supplications that David does the child dies. What’s surprising is what David does when he hears that the child is dead!
“And David said to his servants, “is the child dead?” They said, “he is dead”. Then David arose and from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshipped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate” (2 Samuel 12:20). I look at this verse and think, huh? What just happened?
You weep and fast and pray and the moment you hear that your prayer has been rejected you rise up and go running to the house of the Lord to praise Him? The point to this verse is this: God’s no is beyond what we can control, and we can control is how our hearts always respond to Him: with Praise!
With a heart surrendered and eyes set on Heaven, she will praise Him all the days of her life. Yes, days, even months will casually break her thin, but she knows that as long as she clings to the One who gives life, she will be just fine.