Too often, people view God as a great cosmic wish granter: they think of their prayers not as petitions, but as demands. Then, if God does not grant their request, they’re thrown into a faith crisis, believing He no longer answers them. The real problem, however, is that they misunderstand how God answers prayer:Yes. We love this response! There’s nothing more exhilarating or faith-inspiring than watching the Lord move mountains in order to provide what we once saw as impossible.
No. Here is where the problems begin for us. But we must accept the fact that God says “no” to some of our requests. This is certainly not because He’s greedy or uncaring—on the contrary, He is generous, loving, and concerned about His children.
Matthew 7:11 does not say God will give “everything to those who ask Him.” No, it says that our heavenly Father will give what is good to those who ask. Quite often, giving “what is good” means that He doesn’t agree to things He knows are wrong for us.
Wait. This answer can be even harder than a flat-out “no.” Yet some things that are good and right may still be wrong for us today. Remember, God is eternal; He sees all time at the same time. If He regards tomorrow’s blessing as a not goo for us today, He’ll withhold it for a season until we’re ready to receive it.
Do not be misled if God’s response is not what you expected—or wanted—to hear. Instead, praise the Lord for answering our requests the way He knows they should be answered!
