PRAYERS GOD WON’T ANSWER
As Christians, we are very serious about being in God’s will in all we do and say – and rightly so. But one area where we may miss His will is in our prayers. We want our lives, and those around us, to be nice and easy. Therefore, we pray for God to quickly remove every illness, struggle, financial problem and difficulty that comes up. But what if God doesn’t want them removed? What if He allows them for a purpose? What if He is using them to stretch and grow the person? Do we really want God to change His plan for them just because we assume everyone must always be happy and not have any problems?
Many times, when I pray for myself or others, I only focus on having the difficulty removed. Then when God doesn’t do what I want I feel like my prayers aren’t being answered. Do we really want God to do everything we say? I’m reminded of King Midas (not the muffler guy) who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. He got that wish but when flowers, food and even his daughter turned to gold he found his gift to be more of a curse. Suppose you did everything your children wanted and gave them all they asked for? Children don’t understand, but parents know that isn’t always best. Our heavenly Father knows that about us as well. His purpose is to make us more like Jesus, not give us an easy, perfect life. That will come in heaven. Do I need to remind anyone that this life is not heaven? We should thank God for not always answering all our prayers but instead doing what He knows is best for us in the long run.
Godly parents know it is not always best for our children if we bail them out of hard situations. We know enabling them doesn’t really help them. We can’t deny them opportunities to stretch and grow. Trust that your heavenly Father knows what is best for us and those we pray for.
When praying for yourself or others, ask God how you should pray. Don’t be so quick to give Him your solution, as if He is waiting to be told what to do. Instead pray the problem, not the solution. Let God decide on the best solution. Like Jesus, we can tell God our request, but we must always end up with asking Him to do His will, whatever He thinks is best. Jesus is our example: Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.”
Also, remember when you pray that God will not force anything against a person’s free will. Jesus tells 3 parables about lost things being found in Luke 15. A shepherd went looking for his lost sheep and a woman searched for her lost coin, but the father of the prodigal son didn’t go searching for him. He must have known where he was at, or had a very good idea, but He waited until he made the choose to return. God is a great respecter of free will choice. He created it and never forces anyone. So, we can’t pray for God to force someone to do something they don’t want to do. We can ask Him to put a desire in them to do the right thing or to fan the tiny spark in them that knows what is right. But we can’t ask God to impose our will on them.
So, before we pray, we should preface our prayers with requests to be open and sensitive about how God wants us to pray for others, and ourselves. We certainly don’t want to be asking God to do something that is not His will. That wastes our time and makes it seem like He doesn’t answer our prayers. Instead pray as Jesus taught us to pray: (July 31, 2023 Doylestown, PA)
Matthew 6:9-10 This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, holy is Your Name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Are you guilty of telling God what to do instead of seeking His will in a situation?
Are you willing to let God decide what is best in your life or someone else’s’ when you pray?
Stop and pray now, first asking God to show you how you can pray in His will for the needs in your life and the lives of others.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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