When God Says "No" To Your Prayers

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)

"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."

We never take note of the fact that God never said that He would say yes to everything.

He only says "yes and amen" to His promises. His promises is His will. And He still has the exclusive right to say "NO."

Why?

Because He is God.

God promised Abraham a son and the Lord fulfilled that promise.

Romans 4:16-22 (NKJV) "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written,

“I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Paul prayed for a thorn in his side to be removed. Paul prayed three times and Paul was denied.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NKJV) "Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

But God gave Paul grace to endure.

We assume that God would say yes to everything that we pray and this isn't the case.

When the Lord says "NO," there's purpose behind it.

We must remember that the Lord sees everything and He alone knows everything.

We may not understand it now, but we’ll understand it later and see that the wisdom of God was working for our good.

Then we shift into beast mode and go off like a firecracker. Assuming that our temper tantrum would convince God to give us what we want every time. Then disappointment sets in and we walk away from the Lord.

Bad mistake.

In John chapter 6, a crowd came and the Lord fed them. They were looking for the Lord all over the countryside and when He finally showed up, the crowd appeared for one reason. The crowd wanted another helping of fish and bread.

Instead, the Lord offered His flesh and blood. The Lord turned it into a lesson. The crowd thought that the Lord was speaking about cutting up His flesh in millions of pieces and that's what they were to eat, but the Lord answered them....

John 6:63 (NKJV) "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."

The Lord was speaking in spiritual terms and they missed it.

Why did they misunderstood what the Lord said?

They didn't get what they've wanted, which was another helping of fish and bread and they all went away disappointed. The Lord destroyed a Mega Church.

They all walked away from the Bread of Life except for the 12 disciples.

But didn't the Lord promised that we would call Him and He would answer?

Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

Yes, but there's a qualification.

The Lord says "Yes and amen" to His promises.

Here's the qualification.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV) "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

When it comes to prayer, we must study the part in light of the whole and never assume a "one size fits all" presumption.

It's always when we ask according to His will whether it's in His Word or not.

If it's not His will, it's no.

Years ago there was a teaching that stated that if it's in His Word, it's yes.

SO people would be told to search the Word and if it's in His Word, it's an automatic, put it in the bank YES.

Turns out that it wasn't the case.

Then God lied.

No. God didn't lie. We've assumed that it's an automatic 'YES' with every thing and anything.

You didn’t have “enough” faith. Your unbelief is the problem. You’re the one that’s at fault.

But God said ‘No’ even when you know or at the very least you thought that you’re in faith.

James 4:1-3 (NKJV) "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."

When we ask and do not receive, it's because we want to spend it on our pleasures.

In other words, our motives didn't line up with His motive. Our hearts are filled with covetousness in pride and that's why we were denied. Covetous is idolatry (see Colossians 3:5).

But didn't the Lord Jesus say........

John 14:12-14 (NKJV) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

Go back to the qualifier in 1 John 5:14-15. We forget that there's a qualifier.

Even the Lord Jesus was denied.

What?

Matthew 26:39 (NKJV) "He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Matthew 26:42-43 (NKJV) "Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

The Lord Jesus denied His will and He fulfilled the Father's will. The Lord Jesus denied Himself, took up His cross, and obeyed God.

There's no question in my mind that even the Lord Jesus was looking for another way.

"Let this cup pass from Me."

Then He submitted to the Father's will entirely.

"...if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

The suffering on the way to the cross and the death on the cross itself was the cup that would not pass.

This is what Paul meant in Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV)

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

Christ humbled Himself to fulfill the Father's will.

The writer of Hebrews affirmed this in Hebrews 5:7-9 (NKJV)

"...who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,

though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him..."

The "...vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death..." is....

Luke 22:42-45 (NKJV)

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow."

God, instead, gave the Lord Jesus grace and strength to forge ahead and it resulted in Christ's exaltation to the right hand of the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV) "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

And then in Hebrews 12:2-3 (NKJV)

“…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

But didn't Paul say in Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Did you see that?

"...let your requests be made known to God..."

But didn't Jesus say in Matthew 6:31-33 (NKJV)

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Did you see "...and all these things shall be added to you."

What are the things?

Eating, drinking, and clothes. The necessities of life.

What we try to do is add things to what the Lord said and it never works.

Proverbs 30:6 (NKJV)

"Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."

Do we need a house or an apartment? Do we need a car? These are necessary things and the Lord does provide. When we don't ask according to His will, He doesn't hear us.

In no way am I trying to discourage you to not seek God in prayer. It's when we don't get what we've wanted from God, we need answers. So should we not get what we've wanted of the Lord, we should consider the times when the Lord Jesus, Paul and others never got what they've wanted and God gave them what they've needed.

His perfect will.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."