Philippians 4:6 (KJV) Says, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Psalm 27:14 (KJV) Says, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."
Romans 8:32 (KJV) Says, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
The above verse of scripture taken from Philippians instructs us not to worry about anything, to go to God in prayer, let him know we are thankful, and then to present our requests to Him. The above verse of scripture taken from Psalm 27 reminds us that after we go to God in prayer, we are to wait patiently on Him. Finally, the above verse of scripture taken from Romans reminds us that there is nothing God will not do for us.
I've heard many people complain that they have gone to God in prayer asking for something, and that they never received it. In some cases the reason a prayer seems to have gone unanswered is because people lose patience, and simply give up. They start complaining that God doesn't hear them, that He never answers their prayers, and that they don't understand why He didn't give them what they asked for. They never stop to think that God may have been preparing to answer their prayer and give them what they prayed for, but they gave up on Him instead of waiting, and realizing that He does things in his time. We must be patient, and wait on God to do things in His time; remembering that He is never early, never late, but always right on time. His timing is perfect.
Another reason a prayer request may seem to go unanswered is because God loves us, He knows what is best for us, and the request we made is not best. You may think that what you ask was not unreasonable, and you may have absolutely no idea why God would not grant the request that you made, but we must remember that God is all knowing. God knows what the outcome of Him answering our prayers in the manner that we desire for Him to answer them will be, and therefore he denies some of our requests for our own good. God is our Heavenly Father, and we are his children. Just as earthly parents tell their children no when they ask for something they don't feel is best for them, God on occasion tells us no for the very same reason.
I can remember as a child getting so upset with my parents, when they would tell me no about something. I would whine and complain asking why not repeatedly. I failed to realize at my age they were telling me no because they loved me and wanted what was best for me. As adults many people react the same way, when God denies their request.
Looking back, it is clear to me now why my parents did not allow me to stay out as long as I wanted to, when I was in high school. They being older, wiser, and more experienced in life than I was, knew that it was not a good idea for a teenager to be out late at night unsupervised. Another clear and basic example of a child being told no for their own good, would be if parents saw their child playing with a lighter, took the lighter away from them, and told them no. The child wanted to play with the lighter, and had no idea he or she could be burned. The parents did know the dangers, however, so they responded by taking the lighter away, and telling the child no.
We are God's children, and He loves us tremendously. He is not going to grant our prayer request, knowing that the result of doing so would not be in our best interest. For example, let's say you are searching for a job and you've applied for several positions, but you are praying daily that you land one in particular. In the end you fail to get the job you prayed so hard for, and you are upset because you were not only qualified for it, but feel you truly deserved it. Because you failed to land the position you desired, you become upset with God, and begin whining and complaining to him professing that you just can't believe he didn't answer your prayer. It is ironic that parents get aggravated if their children whine and complain, when they are told no, but then these same parents will turn right around and behave the same way, when God tells them no. In situations like this it is important that we remember God loves us, and He knows and wants what is best for us. Isn't this the same way earthly parents feel about their children? It could be that the job you wanted was in jeopardy because the company was going out of business within a year or two. It could be that although you felt strongly you wanted the position you would have been extremely unhappy there. It could be that the position you do wind up landing is one that places you among numerous non-believers, and will provide you with the most opportunity to witness by example for the Lord. God denies some of our requests for our own protection.
There could be any number of reasons why God doesn't answer some of our prayers in the manner we desire Him to, and the truth is we may never know the reasons. We can, however, be certain that He loves us, He wants what is best for us, and being all knowing He is fully aware of exactly what the best is. There is no room for doubt, when it comes to the fact that we are God's children and He would do anything for us. If doubt as to whether or not God loves you and wants the best for you ever creeps into your mind, I urge you to remember He sent his only Son, being sinless, to die on the cross for our sins. If He loves us enough to offer us a sacrifice of that magnitude, what would He not give us as long as it was for our good?
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you
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