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The
Bible says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone that asks
receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be
opened.” (Luke 11:9-10)
When Christians pray and God answers their prayers, they point to verses
of the Bible like these and say that God always keeps his word.
But some Christians ask for years without tears and God seemingly
doesn’t lift a finger in their behalf. Why not? Why does God answer
the prayers of some persons, while seeming to ignore the prayers of
others?
As if that weren’t enough, sometimes God gives a bad person what he asks
while allowing a good person to suffer. In our way of thinking, the
good ought to be blessed and the bad ought to suffer for their sins.
Why does God do what he does? We don’t know. God says, “For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways.” (Isaiah
55:8)
If God did not have the power to say “no” to some of our prayers he
would merely be a puppet working at a great warehouse in the skies. If
he were obligated to do everything we ask, then all we would have to do
is send up orders for health, wealth, or happiness and let him fill
them.
Christians who think God should answer all their prayers as they want
are really trying to elevate themselves to God’s level. If God does not
know when to say “no” to us, then he is no wiser than we are.
A superior has the power to deny or grant the requests of lesser
persons. God, being the Supreme Being, has the power to answer prayers
as he pleases.
But there is good news! The Bible teaches that God delights in giving
good things to his children. Jesus said to his disciples, “If you then
though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask him!” (Luke 11:11)
In God’s view, the best thing he can give us is his Holy Spirit. The
problem is, most Christians spend far more time praying for health,
wealth, and success than they do pleading to be Christ-like and in step
with the Holy Spirit.
When people want to demonstrate the power of faith, they generally point
to examples of persons who have been healed, financially blessed, or had
God work miraculously in their behalf. But it seems to me that persons
who are not healed, who stay poor, or who do not see God work
miraculously in their behalf and still maintain confidence in God have
even more faith.
The Bible defines faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain
of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) If God always answered “yes” to
our prayers, we would not really need to have faith at all.
Paul Jetter, Upper Valley Community Church |
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