I Don't Like that Answer

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:13-15 ESV). There are times when I get news that I don’t particularly like. I was in a big box DIY store not long ago and needed a piece of glass cut. The width was 9½” and the length was 38”. I went to the associate and gave him the measurements and was promptly informed that would be impossible. I did ask, “Why?” He informed me they didn’t have any glass that long. Well, I didn’t like that answer at all! Sometimes that’s really what we say to God when we feel like he hasn’t answered our prayers. When people say that God never answers their prayers, what they are usually saying is they prayed and didn't like the answer. “No” is as much of an answer as “yes.” So if you have prayed for something and God said no, don't say that God didn't answer your prayers. It is more accurate to say that you didn't like the answer God gave you. The primary objective of prayer is to align your will with God's will. This is the impact of our reading today. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (cf. Luke 11:2). True praying is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of His willingness. Prayer is not getting your will in heaven; it is getting God's will on earth. When you have lived for awhile, you begin to understand that God knows more than you do. And you even will thank God for unanswered prayers. You will thank God that He said no to you at an earlier time, because you will realize, as you look back, that you didn't know what you were asking for at the time. The goal is to pray according to God's will. And nothing lies outside the reach of prayer except that which lies outside of the will of God. Once while Francis of Assisi was hoeing his garden, he was asked, "What would you do if you were suddenly told you would die at sunset today?" He replied, "I would finish hoeing my garden." I believe we would all be better simply by understanding that God holds the future. If the answer is “no” it must be for our good. That is His will for us. As hard as it is to imagine, those answers work together for our good too! Trust in the Lord to answer you perfectly in all things. Keep praying. You don’t need to pray “right;” he will always answer “right.”