Does God Still Answer Prayer? Part 1

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” 

–(Isaiah 55:8-9)

"Just have faith."

We've been taught this and told this hundreds of times, maybe more.

Jesus said: "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24)

But, we all have asked God for things in prayer, and we absolutely believed that we would receive them. But it still didn't work.

So, why not? Why didn't we receive what we asked for? I mean, we believed after all. We had "faith." So what went wrong?

Here's the caveat; we have to ask according to God's will.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

There it is: "According to His will."

In the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing He would soon be crucified, and would take the sin of the whole world on Himself, Jesus prayed: 

“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39)

"Not my will be done... but Thy will be done."

We should all pray that way.

Great man of faith; the Apostle Paul, asked God three times that a thorn in his flesh, given to him by Satan, would be removed. But God said, "My grace is sufficient for you." Paul asked in faith, but God said 'no' to his prayer, because Paul, to whom God revealed some incredible things, now understood why his prayer request was denied, and said, “Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations.” (2 Corinthians 12:7). God knew beforehand, why Paul's prayer request was something that would not be good for Paul, if He were to grant that request. Even Paul didn't always know what he should pray for.

And we're no different.

You can ask in Jesus' name all you want, absolutely believing God will give you what you have prayed for. But, no matter how much faith you have, if your request is not according to His will, you will not receive what you asked for. 

What is faith really?  Here is a simple exercise. Every time you see the word "faith" in the Bible, replace it with the word "trust."

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."  

By substituting "trust" for "faith" it reads, "For we walk by trust, not by sight."

For me this puts the focus fully on the Lord, who is the only one we can place our trust in. Is my faith in 'my faith'? Or is it in The Lord.  

People can say, "I know I will receive this because of my great faith!"  

"My faith." ...Sometimes, if we're not careful, that can come across as a bit prideful. "I won't be shaken because of my great faith!"

First, your faith is a gift.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The biblical word "faith" literally means to believe; to trust.

So, when you think of how great your faith is—your ability to trust—remember, it is a gift from God. It is nothing you have in of yourself to boast of.

Second, and just as important, when replacing the word faith with trust, it puts the focus on Who my faith is in. My faith is in God. I have no faith in my faith. I put no trust in my faith. My faith, my trust; is in God alone. Not in my ability to trust. My trust is in the Lord.

Do you see the difference?

Thousands and thousands of faithful, caring people can all be praying together, believing that their collective prayers will be answered according to what they have asked God for. A terminally sick child healed. An imprisoned man set free. A woman's cancer banished from her decimated body. A homeless family desperately in need of provision. And these are beautiful, necessary prayers. These are prayers we absolutely are to pray. "Pray without ceasing."

But what if God's will is to work His plan, and advance His kingdom, in and through these specific times of great trial and adversity in His children?  To teach His people to draw near to Him, and to trust Him in the midst of great suffering and loss?

I'm learning to pray believing, asking God to heal the sick, and set the captives free. But in my prayers, I am to always pray that His good and perfect will be done, not my will be done. 

God said:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” 

We can't see how He is working in the midst of a child's cancer, or through a man's imprisonment. We don't know the end from the beginning. Only God does. We don't know His thoughts about a situation. We can't understand His ways in why He is allowing something to continue, that we so desperately want Him to put a stop to.

So, the question is; will I choose to trust God to manage my life, no matter how bad things look, when there seems to be no way out?

When you can't possibly see how your situation is going to work out, will you choose to trust God with your life?

It's a choice you have to make.

We are to pray and ask God for the things we need, and for the needs of others—believing He will answer affirmatively to our requests made in faith.

But real "faith" is to come to Him and make our request known, and then leave it at His feet, fully trusting Him with the results—come what may.

Job, a man who had lost everything, including his home and all of his children, but who was also a man who truly had faith in God, said:  

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." (Job 13:15)

About to be thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar, three young, devout Hebrew men who truly trusted in the Lord, named Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego said: 

“If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)

There are many hindrances to God giving us what we ask of Him when we pray. There is a lot in the Bible that teaches us what these hindrances are, and I encourage you to search the scriptures and learn what those things are. But due to space here, I will save that for another article, for another time.

The focus that God put on my heart to write here today is, will you choose to fully trust Him with the results of your prayers to Him?

Will you choose to trust Him to manage your life, your trials and your adversity, even though you can't possibly see any way that it can work out?

Remember—only God can make a way when there seems to be no way.

But even if He doesn't give you what you ask from Him when you pray, sometimes His answer of "no" is the best answer. 

We don't know what we should pray for. We ask amiss. We don't understand why God does what He does, or why He allows what He allows. 

God does still answer our prayers. And I believe He has three primary answers:  

"Yes."

 "No."

"Wait."

Father knows best. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts; His ways, higher than our ways.

Trust in Him.

He already demonstrated His incomprehensible love to you and me when He sent His only begotten Son Jesus, to die on a Cross for our sins. "For God so loved the world that He gave..."  (See John 3:16).

Trust in His love for you.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.