What If the Answer Is "No"?

What is the purpose of prayer? Have you ever given thought to how you pray, when you pray, or even what you pray for? To me, prayer is part of my relationship with the Creator of Heaven and earth, the omnipotent Father of all creation. Nothing that exists was created outside of His Hand, and there is a purpose to everything that happens in the world we live in. There are different types of prayers. Prayers of thanksgiving for all that God has done, is doing, and continues to do in our lives. Prayers for guidance or direction with decisions we are facing, or often our prayers can be focused on support for family, friends, or others we are directly or indirectly connected to. I'm guessing that the most frequent type of prayer is one where we are requesting help from God for divine intervention in our own adversity or affliction. In my personal prayer life, I strive to intertwine all of these in my daily prayers. I don't want my prayers to be all about me, and I definitely don't want to fail to thank God for his omniscient presence in my daily walk. Additionally, it is important to include intercessory prayers for the needs of those that I love, live, and share life with each day. Today's question isn't necessarily about what you pray about or even when you pray, today I'd like to pose a question, What do you do when you pray and God's answer to your prayer is "No"? 

I suppose you could say there is a certain level of expectancy that God is just going to snap His fingers and answer our prayers when we ask Him to come to our rescue. I mean didn't Jesus tell us in Matthew 21:22 that "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."? Well, yes and no seem to be an appropriate response to that mindset. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus shared another thought around this idea of ask and receive. "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24. Over the years I have struggled with understanding this concept. On the surface level it sounds like in the verse from Matthew that Jesus was telling us all we have to do is ask for whatever it is and we will receive it; pray, snap, it is done. We can all attest to the fact that that is not how it works. In the verse from Mark the clarifying phrase for me is "believe that you have received it and it will be yours." Believing that you have received it for me says ask for an answer to your prayer and accept that whatever the outcome of the situation is, God has a plan and a purpose. If we believe with that level of trust and confidence in God's divine power, then we can accept that God has heard our prayer and He is working in and through whatever is going on to a result that will carry His plan forward. That is hard for us, when we pray for healing and it doesn't happen what is our response? When we ask God to restore a broken relationship and resolution doesn't happen, do you trust that God's plan will be fulfilled and it may not be done right now? Whatever the situation or circumstance, how do you respond when the answer to your prayer is "No"? 

For some, praying and receiving a "no" response results in the person turning their back on God. "I asked and you didn't heal my family member, so I'm done with religion." Another perspective to a "no" response is that God is punishing you by not answering your prayer. That way of thinking is counter to God and His way. In the Book of Job, we are introduced to a true, blameless man of God named Job (Job 1:8). Satan seeks to discredit Job by hitting him with all levels of destruction and loss. Job loses his children, his material possessions, and even his own health and through all of that Job maintains his unwavering trust in God. As hard as it had to be, Job submitted to God and His provision. Job took the stance that "... God teaches people through suffering and uses distress to open their eyes." Job 36:15. To accept an answer of "no" to our prayers is hard, yet it is possible if only we will trust, obey, and allow God's plan to be fulfilled in us and through us. 

Accepting God's wisdom and his omniscient plan for this life that He has given us to live allows us to look at a "no" response and trust that God has a plan. I can tell you, that won't happen without having a relationship with God. The two earlier responses of turning your back on God or feeling that God is punishing you for all the bad you have done are reactions that can be accomplished without a relationship with God. The only way to accept adverse outcomes to a prayer request is through a relationship with God that understands and accepts that God's response may be yes, it may be not right now, and it may end up being "no". A "no" response does not mean God has turned a deaf ear to our plea, it simply means that God hears you and He will answer your prayer, but it is our duty to trust that the outcome of any situation is going to be part of God's plan. Our humanness will not allow us to see God's plan, that is why our response has to be one of trust and faith that will see us through. One day it will all be revealed. Will it happen while you are here on this earth? I can't answer that one, but I can hold on to my faith and trust that my God is faithful and that today's "no" may be tomorrow's "YES". 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Coach Carter