When God Says No

[William Whitehead]

If I ask God for something, and I have faith, will I get it? This question has been raised to me on many occasions. Today, I am pondering it anew. My daughter was recently in a production of 42nd Street by the Rahway High School theater program. It was a great show, and I was present every night. I like to sit way up in the back of the theater. One night a young mom was in the nose bleed section with me watching her little girl run up and down the stairs. The little girl didn’t want to sit and watch the show, so she was scrambling all over the place. I was a little nervous about her getting hurt. But there didn’t seem to be anything I could do about it, so that was that. Now, if that were my daughter, she would have been sitting in her seat and if she didn’t like it I would have found a corner for her to stand in. My kids keep telling me what a tough dad I was, but I think I was just trying to protect them and teach them the rules of proper behavior. After all when children become adults, they have to live within the rules of society. If not they end up hurting themselves, hurting someone else, and/or in jail. So I see it as my job to teach my children how to function in the world, and that includes knowing when to say yes to them, and knowing when to say no.

When do I say no to my kids? The simple answer is, when I thought it was in their best interests. When do I say yes? Same answer. Job asked a simple question of God, why did this disaster happen to me? The answer he received was equally simple; I know what is best for you. Just like a wise parent knows how to guide his/her children into their future, God knows how best to prepare us for the long haul. “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God†(Psalm 90:2). God is timeless and is not limited by time like we are. Therefore, God knows our past, our present and our future. “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit†(Psalm 145:5). Each one of us is unique in the creation, and yet, God knows everything there is to know about us. “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all†(Psalm 103:19). As a result, God is the wise ruler of the heavens, and knows what is best for us. As a result, when we make our petitions to God, sometimes He says yes and sometimes he says no, according to His Will for us.

Ah, but what about this quote; “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you†(John 15:7). The answer to this question resides in the words; if you remain in me and my words remain in you. What this means is that if we are connected to God through our faith in Jesus Christ, that spiritual connection will give us the ability to do God’s will. And if our petitions are in accord with God’s will, we will always receive the answer yes. In other words, getting what we want from God depends upon whether what we want is in accord with God’s plan for us. Just like the situation with my kids. When they ask for something that is good for them, they’ll always get a yes.

Now my kids are becoming adults and are almost on their own. The day is coming when they will be making decisions that are in my best interest. Man - that is going to be seriously weird.

God bless you,

Pastor Bill
www.FBC-Rahway.org

 

[WIP]

I like your explanation. Thank you.

 

[Classik]

I like your explanation. Thank you.

Me too.

 

[wayseer]

In other words, getting what we want from God depends upon whether what we want is in accord with God’s plan for us.

Are you suggesting that any prayers for world peace are not in accordance with God's plan?

Are you suggesting that prayers to end world hunger are not in accordance with God's will?

If such is not the case - how will we ever know what is in God's plan?

And if we are not beholden to God's plan should we even attempt to make prayers?

Or is you statement a self-fulfilling judgement that if prayers are not answered then such absence indicates that those offering the prayers are not really Christian?

I think you post is simplistic and self-serving and fails to address some of the most pressing issues with any number of believers have to wrestle - Just where is God when you need him most?

 

[WIP]

Just where is God when you need him most?

Right beside you.

 

[wayseer]

Right beside you.

Explain that to the person dying of cancer, the starving in Ethiopia, those tortured in some prison for daring to oppose some oppressive regime.

But I notice you have avoided the hard questions.

 

[WIP]

Explain that to the person dying of cancer, the starving in Ethiopia, those tortured in some prison for daring to oppose some oppressive regime.

That is when our faith is put to the real test. I watched my mother die from cancer and the last thing on her face was a smile. She knew she was going home.

 

[phantom309]

Are you suggesting that any prayers for world peace are not in accordance with God's plan?

Are you suggesting that prayers to end world hunger are not in accordance with God's will?

If such is not the case - how will we ever know what is in God's plan?

And if we are not beholden to God's plan should we even attempt to make prayers?

Or is you statement a self-fulfilling judgement that if prayers are not answered then such absence indicates that those offering the prayers are not really Christian?

I think you post is simplistic and self-serving and fails to address some of the most pressing issues with any number of believers have to wrestle - Just where is God when you need him most?

The point made in the original post was simply to say that there are reasons why we sometimes dont get the things we pray for,and reasons why sometimes we do.God sees the overall picture and,as a loving Father would,will grant,deny or sideline certain requests.

As for being familiar with Gods will,we have the bible for that.Obviously we arent or ever will be privy to every waking thought of God,but this is no reason to conclude prayer is useless.

Nothing was even remotely stated or inferred that suggested any of the accusatory nonsense that you allege,which leads me to believe that if any self-serving agenda exists,its your own.Youre clearly just being argumentive for reasons unknown and quite honestly it makes zero sense.

This is also seen again in your latter comment concerning starving ethiopians and such.Can you prove that God is not with those people?Could it be reasoned that if He werent,things could be a whole lot worse?

 

[handy]

That is when our faith is put to the real test. I watched my mother die from cancer and the last thing on her face was a smile. She knew she was going home.

Yep... I went through the same with Dad... His release from this life was every bit of a testimony to God's grace and goodness as his life was.

My husband watched his brother die from AIDs. It was at that time that my husband went from being basically agnostic to being a believer.. His brother's testimony, and just the presence of the Spirit when Bruce passed made it crystal clear to my husband that there most certainly was a God.

Then later, after we were married and my f-i-l had a major surgery and almost died, it was then that my husband went from having a "belief" in God, to turning to Him and walking with Him day by day.

Often, more often than not, it's during these really tough patches in life, patches that God chooses to walk us through rather than remove us from, that we learn to lean on Him even more.


wayseer, you asked:

Are you suggesting that any prayers for world peace are not in accordance with God's plan?

Are you suggesting that prayers to end world hunger are not in accordance with God's will?

Have you prayed for world peace and been dismayed by all the wars and strife?
Have you prayed to end world hunger and been frustrated to see famine?

One of the principle ways for any Christian to keep within God's will and within God's plan is to always keep in mind what God's word tells us.

Jesus told us that there will be wars, rumors of wars, He told us that we would be delivered up to be afflicted, He told us of famine and that the poor would always be with us...

It would be one thing to have God tell us that once we believe in Him, everything in our lives will be one big happy party... but not once does God ever make such claims.

Jesus was quite clear, in this world, we will have tribulation. He was also clear that He has overcome the world and that our hope in Him will not be in vain.

As Pastor Bill pointed out, "Ah, but what about this quote; “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you†(John 15:7). The answer to this question resides in the words; if you remain in me and my words remain in you. What this means is that if we are connected to God through our faith in Jesus Christ, that spiritual connection will give us the ability to do God’s will. And if our petitions are in accord with God’s will, we will always receive the answer yes."

On a general level, the level of asking for "world peace" and "end hunger" this rings true... We can certainly pray for peace and for the alleviation of hunger and famine, but we also need to keep in mind what Jesus' words were, that these things are always going to be a part of this world.

On a personal level, one benefit of being in Christ and having His words in one, is that it give clarity as to what one should pray for.

When Dad was diagnosed with cancer, we naturally prayed that he would be healed, but that it would be by God's will. God's Spirit was already active, in all of us, to prepare us for the fact that this would be Dad's final illness. We were girded up to face what was to come... Dad had cancer of the esophagus, inoperable. He quickly lost the ability to eat or and eventually lost the ability to drink. We basically watched Dad starve to death... in acute pain. He was given about 3-4 weeks to live... but he lasted 5 months instead. Throughout the time, we learned to pray, not so much for Dad's healing... we understood from the Lord that he was going to die... but to pray instead that all of God's purposes would be accomplished in the situation.

Those 5 months were hard, excruciatingly so, and hardest on Dad. But, Dad was able to testify to God's grace, to His peace, to His joy. I never heard him complain, not once. He never asked "why me" "what did I do to deserve this"... towards the very end he did say that he would be glad when it was over. It was the closest thing to a complaint he made.

One might think it was cruel to have a man who had served Him for so long in this life to suffer in that way... but God was with Him every step of the way.

And, God kept him alive for as long as He did for a reason... That reason was my brother. Dad was going home... he knew he would soon be beyond all suffering and pain.. But my brother was going to be left here and he was truly struggling with it all. My brother lives out of state, so he wasn't there day to day to see how God's grace was working in the situation.

Finally, one night, the Holy Spirit literally got my brother up out of a sleep. John woke up, told my sister in law to call his boss later in the day... he got into his truck and drove 8 hours... He arrived at my mom and dad's and spent the rest of the day and throughout the night with dad, who was still lucid and able to talk. After John left, Dad slipped into a coma and then slipped out of this life. It was all in God's timing. While Dad has long since left all that pain and is now in glory... my brother is at peace and is comforted... Had dad died earlier when my brother wasn't there... I don't know what the impact would have been.

So yes, I agree 100% with WIP and with what Pastor Bill has shared, God truly is right there beside us. And as we walk with Him, He will not only bring us through the tough times of live, He will even teach us how to pray within His will. It brings a peace that passes all understanding.

It truly does.

 

[wayseer]

That is when our faith is put to the real test. I watched my mother die from cancer and the last thing on her face was a smile. She knew she was going home.

I am happy your mother died with a smile on her face. Most cancer patients I have been in contact with are so comatose from the high levels of drugs used to kill the pain that they die unconscious.