All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

What about when God says 'no'?

Listen along here: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/49734a89/what-about-whe...

When God says 'No' to your prayers

After God healed Danny, I vividly remember praying, 'Lord, I do not know why we received the miraculous, but I will never be the same. And I will serve You by serving others the best way I know how. If you ask me to go, I will... if others need prayer for healing, I'm your girl. I will say 'yes'.'

And so I did, I have and I am; yes, I am that girl.

At first I was nervous when I went to pray, but through my sometimes fumbling, though always faith-filled prayers, I saw God do the miraculous again and again. It has really been unbelievable! But each time I went to the hospital to pray for a child with leukemia, I knew that there was a chance that God would not heal. What would I say to the heartbroken parents? What could I say? What about the woman diagnosed with pancreatic cancer who I anointed with oil and she died in two weeks anyway? What about these heartbreaks?

Friday afternoon after "This is Why I Trust God--no matter what"/the story of Danny Boy's miracle, https://conta.cc/4h9dEx8, I heard from my high school friend who, though faithful to God, has not gotten the 'yes' in response to his prayers. His wife died anyway. His own health has been hit with wave after wave, and he is worn out by all of it. Rightfully so.

Reading Elliot's message as I stood in Michael's craft store where I was buying a paper cutter, I suddenly felt like I was standing in wet concrete. My heart fell somewhere into my abdomen... my next Morning Briefing (what do you do with a miracle) was put to the side. 'Lord, what do I say to Elliot? O God!' I cried out. I went to my car and called him.

On doubting the value of prayer, I am pretty sure I have heard it all over the years. ‘I pray and pray, still nothing changes. I’m not sure God is even hearing me.’ ‘Seems like he hears other people’s prayers, just not mine.’ ‘I prayed…they prayed…she died anyway—not certain God really cares.’ It’s tempting to believe the lie that a yes from God confirms his blessing, while a no is a form of punishment or heavenly disapproval.1 Could that be true? Hmmm.

Tortured questions, but not beyond God’s scope. And what about my own impassioned pleas carried to God daily, for years, about which I have not seen any change or any movement? What do I do with these seemingly unanswered prayers? And more importantly, what do I do with God and my faith in him?

->here is how I truthfully feel: It neither causes me to doubt God, nor discourages me from asking, even when my heart aches. Move in a little closer. What do I believe about these things . . . about God? I take God at his Word. I believe him. He said, ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’2 So yes, God answers prayer. But sometimes his answer is ‘No.’ Sometimes his answer is ‘Not yet.’ And of course, we have no questions when he says ‘Yes.’ He has his reasons for doing and permitting what he does—that is all I know.

God is who he said he was: Good. Faithful. Powerful. Present. Merciful. Compassionate. All-knowing. Personal. He exhibits all of these throughout the pages of Scripture in both Old and New Testaments, even while saying ‘no’ to some of the guys on his own team, so to speak.

Take God’s Most Valuable Player, Paul. Paul had some sickness (unspecified in Scripture--some think it was his eyesight, others his stomach, and still others think he might have had epilepsy! Fact is, Scripture does not give us that answer). Paul asked God to heal him; God said No.

Check it out: Paul wrote, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 3 All his adult life, Paul wanted to get to Rome. He wanted to preach the gospel [MVP, God’s team, remember?] He finally got there, but he was in shackles, he was a prisoner of Rome! God…seriously? Turns out he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon while sidelined. Hmmm . . . Purpose in the 'no'? Clearly.

God has his reasons why he does what he does and why he permits what he does. God is good. God does good. He is always at work. He will never leave us alone. He graciously gave us his words to stand upon:

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”4

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”5

So why not receive from Jesus what he has graciously offered?

Come to me all who are weary and burdered, and I will give you rest.6

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.7

When Elliot answered the phone on Friday, what did I say to him, you ask? Something like this - 'I read your message, and while I know you are not looking for me to give you some profound answer, I had to call. Any 'reason' I would give you for why God has not healed you would be trite, a pious platitude . . . I will not go there. But I am so sorry for your pain. And Elliot, the only thing I really know to say or do in response, is to pray. Would that be okay?'

And so I prayed across the thousands of miles between us - just like I prayed for my 15-year-old friend, Simeon, who needs the healing hand of God in his life. You see, that is my job, and if you are a follower of Jesus, it is yours too.

What do I pray? Always something like this:

"Lord Jesus, you told us to bring the sick for the prayer of healing,

and you told us to pray in the power that is in your name...

so Lord, in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, I pray for Elliot, my brother Mike, _____, that you would touch them and heal them, O God,

in whatever way you see fit, with the doctors' help or not.

Thank you that you have heard this prayer and you are answering, God,

because you are a Good Father.

And because you never do nothing in answer to prayer.

In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen."

And then what?

Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtE-_1cwH1M&list=RDKtE-_1cwH1M&a...

Prayerfully and in faith,