It
is not always easy to understand God’s answers to our prayers. But
we can be assured that he is always listening to us and that he wants
what is best for us.
Sometimes,
when it seems God is saying no to something, he may be saying yes to
something else and leading us in a way that is different from our own
plans.
Sometimes
we do not receive what we pray for because we are not ready for it.
So God’s answer may be more like “Yes, but not now.” In cases
like that, we need to persist in prayer, but we should also ask for
patience as we submit to God’s timing.
Other
times God simply says no because what we are praying for is not in
line with his will and what is best for us. God can decide not to
give us something because he may have something else in mind for
us—something greater than we can even ask or imagine (see Ephesians
3:20).
So
we must pray to God with humility and trust. We might think that we
know what’s best for us and that our timing makes more sense than
God’s timing. But then we would be elevating ourselves above the
God we pray to! As the Lord said to Paul when his prayer was
declined, “My grace is sufficient for you.” In this way God
reminds us that all our needs are met in Christ, and this allows us
to pray, wait, and trust.