When God doesn't give an answer...

Do you think God’s cell phone in a dead zone?

This was a comment that was made to me when we were discussing the answer to a specific prayer.  Comical… but also a very real cry of people’s hearts.

Sometimes it would seem that God doesn’t hear.  And sometimes… we would prefer to believe that He doesn’t hear… rather than thinking that He doesn’t care.

But God hears us.  Always.  And He always answers.

Some people say that sometimes God says, “No.”  I would like to offer a different answer.

When we pray and we don’t receive that which we asked for we should consider this…

 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,” James 4:3

I know that most people do not want to hear that.  And others will say that we are giving God a way out.  But whatever way you cut it, the Bible says what we just read.

So let’s look at it again.  Perhaps… just maybe… it makes sense when we look at it like this…

“You ask, and receive not, because you ask a miss.” 

Sometimes, we ask for something that is outside of God’s will.  As good as it may seem, as right as it might feel… it might be that we miss what God desires for us to ask for.

A miss.  Not a direct hit.  Not a “nail on the head.”  But a miss.  Off the mark.  Outside of His will.

God, our Father, is a giver of good gifts. (Matt 7:11) “Good” is:  perfectly in line with His will.  We cannot understand His ways.  But His ways for us are as His thoughts toward us… peace, not evil, to give us an expected end.(Jer 29:11)

Joseph may have prayed to be freed… but went from the well to slavery… to the dungeon, before the throne.

Daniel prayed… and wound up in the lion’s den.

Jesus prayed that the cup be taken away… and then took the gulp of salvation.

In order to pray “direct hits” we must know His will in every situation.

Pray to know His will.

And then pray to do His will.

God doesn’t hold back answers from us…

He holds back answering for us, lest we get what we ask for rather than what He desires us to have.

SDG