Category Archives: Hearing from God

Character of God, Hearing from God, Obeying God

I Know The Plans I Have For You

God has long term strategies and plans for His people, for those who serve Him wholeheartedly. Often we can not even recognize His plans for us… our lives are but a single thread, woven into the fabric of a bigger tapestry that God is creating.

God’s has plans for us even when we have gone through or are going through difficult times as referenced in the beginning of Psalm 40 or the context of Jeremiah 29, while God’s people were in exile.

[Psalm 40:5] O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

[Jeremiah 29:11-13] 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

God does not prepare us for something and bring us toward it just to abandon it when there is an obstacle. Obstacles may be created by our sin and selfishness or that of another person. Obstacles may be a test to our dedication to serve, trust, and follow God.

Consider as example, if you feel you have been led by God into marrying someone specific. You cannot then, a year later, also accept that God is leading you to abandon the marriage because it is difficult. God is not that short sited and He is not surprised by obstacles and challenges.

A second example… if you feel led to ministry consistently over a period of time and then fail to get admission into the seminary you were pursuing or turned down for your first job at a church. You can not accept that God has both led you to ministry and then subsequently led you away from it. Take time to reflect more deeply and seek Him in prayer for which is the right path.  Perhaps you have not found the right starting opportunity He wants for you.

We can take comfort in knowing that although we may be short sighted and fail to anticipate obstacles, God is not. When we genuinely hear from Him, we can trust Him to lead us and help us overcome obstacles in our way.

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Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Hearing from God, Interceding for Others, Righteousness / Serving God, Wickedness / Evil

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

Genesis 18:16-33 gives us keen insight into the character of God and the relationship we can have with Him as His servants.

16 Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.

17 “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. 18 “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”

20 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”

22 The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

26 And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”

27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”

And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.”

29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?”

And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.”

30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”

And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”

31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”

And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”

And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

33 When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.

Abraham intercedes on behalf of the city of Sodom, in particular on behalf of the righteous people who may live in the city of Sodom. Likely he was thinking about his own family through Lot that lived there, but may have genuinely been interceding for others as well. Despite a healthy fear and respect for God, and recognizing that God is about to unleash righteous wrath on Sodom, Abraham takes courage to intercede for others in a way that respects God but still asks for mercy on behalf of His righteous people.

How gracious of our all powerful God to allow those who serve Him to personally talk with Him… to discuss things. He listens to His righteous servants. In this case, it would seem He listens with great patience… as a father listening to questions from a son he loves.

We also see that God is not only love but also righteousness and judgment. We know from later in scripture that God destroys Sodom. How sad that He could not find 10 righteous  people in that sinful city.  The judgment God put in place for those sinful people was just. He does, however, provides an opportunity for Lot and his family to leave Sodom  before it is destroyed.

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Children, Hearing from God, Obeying God

God Promises a Baby to Sarah

Sometimes it is difficult even for those who walk with God to accept that He may intervene in their  lives and deliver something incredible… something very personal they could never expect outside of His direct intervention.

In Genesis 18:1-15 we see God promising a baby to Sarah, who is old and well past child bearing years by normal standards. Sarah struggles to believe it and even laughs.

18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”

“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”

6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures[a] of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.

9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.

“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.

10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

Though we do not read it in this scripture verse, God indeed fulfills the promise. How gracious of God to continue with the promise despite Sarah’s laughter and unbelief. Despite even her lie to deny she had mocked the promise. God was going to keep His promise to Abraham.

Do you believe He can and may intervene directly in your life? Have you witnessed God doing incredible things before? When He delivers something you never expected was possible, do you glorify Him and praise Him, telling others? or do you keep it to yourself and eventually reason why it really may not have been God involved after all?

A good idea to consider… when God clearly moves in your life or in another way around you, write it down in a journal. Keep a record of God’s involvement in your life for encouragement and reminder that our gracious creator can and does intervene in the lives of His people.

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Hearing from God, Satan, Spiritual Warfare

Am I Hearing From Jesus? or Satan?

As Jesus’ followers we must learn over time to recognize the voice of our shepherd and distinguish it from the voice of the evil one, Satan. God allows Satan to tempt and lie to us.

Satan wants to separate us from God. God wants us to study and know God through His word so as to easily recognize when Satan is at work and choose instead to honor God and reject Satan’s lies.

Satan was allowed to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden. She choose to trust Satan instead of God, with grave consequences.  Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus knew and trusted the word of God and thus recognized the lies and deceit… the trap Satan was trying to lure him into.

Satan continues today to try to trick and deceive people in an effort to separate them from God. Sadly, he is very successful because people are not prepared as Jesus was with a strong foundation of understanding God’s word as truth.

There are key differences, or tells, that can help us distinguish between God’s voice and that of Satan.

  • God speaks clearly and directly about the truth of what is good and what is wrong. There is not much “gray” area. Satan lies and rationalizes why wrong behavior is really acceptable.
  • God’s will never contradicts what He has already revealed to us in His holy scriptures. Satan’s lies contradict or twist scripture out of context. They are easier to spot for those who have taken the time to study and know God’s word.
  • God calls us to admit we are sinful, repent wholeheartedly and change our behavior in pursuit of a holy standard. Satan tells us the Bible is wrong or inaccurate or no longer applies. He tells us that we are like many others or better than most, we are good enough, we don’t need to change our behavior.
  • God’s path is typically harder, takes longer… it requires discipline and conviction. People will mock you and try to stop you. Satan’s path is easy and comfortable. People do not mock you. You blend in with the world.
  • God warns us that there are negative consequences to our sin. Satan tries to convince us there are no negative consequences.
  • God leads us to have a humble spirit, knowing who we are in Christ and giving glory to Him. Satan fills us with pride, focusing our thoughts on how good we are by ourselves.
  • God cares not only about “what we do” but also cares about “how we do it” and “why”. Satan says “the ends justify the means”.  Satan suggests you can act in a way that is against God’s word so long as you have a good cause.
  • God provided a way through Jesus Christ to atone for our sins and reconcile with God. Satan tells us we do not need God…that we are good enough on our own.

As followers of Christ we must acknowledge that Satan is real and is working to trap us and lead us into sin and away from God. Then we must study God’s word and focus on developing a relationship with Him through consistent prayer. We must listen carefully and test what we hear to ensure it lines up with God’s will and character. Only by doing this can we live the life that God wants for us.

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Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God

God Requires Obedience As Part of His Covenant

In Genesis 17, God reminds Abram about the agreement they have in which Abram will be made the father of many nations if he and his children obey God. God commands a physical sign of the covenant that will serve as a reminder of the agreement to God’s people.

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord came to him and said, “I am God All-powerful. Obey Me, and be without blame. 2 And I will keep My agreement between Me and you. I will give you many children.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. God said to him, 4 “See, My agreement is with you. You will be the father of many nations. 5 No more will your name be Abram. But your name will be Abraham. For I will make you the father of many nations. 6 Many will come from you. I will make nations of you. Kings will come from you. 7 I will make My agreement between Me and you and your children after you through their whole lives for all time. I will be God to you and to your children’s children after you. 8 I will give to you and your children after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan for yourselves forever. And I will be their God.”

9 Then God said to Abraham, “You must keep My agreement, you and your children after you for all time. 10 This is My agreement between Me and you and your children after you, which you must obey: Every man among you must have this religious act done. 11 In this religious act the skin is cut off from the end of your sex part. This will be the special act of the agreement between Me and you. 12 Every male child among you who is eight days old must have this religious act done, through all time. The same must be done to all the men born in your house or bought with your money from any stranger, who is not one of your family. 13 He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must have this religious act done. So will My agreement be marked in your flesh, an agreement that lasts forever. 14 But the man who has not had this religious act done, of cutting off his piece of skin, will be cut off from his people. He has broken My agreement.”

15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her name Sarai. But Sarah will be her name. 16 And I will bring good to her. I will give you a son by her. I will bring good to her. And she will be the mother of nations. Kings of many people will come from her.”

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed. He said to himself, “Will a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? 18 Then Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live before You!” 19 But God said, “No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son. And you will give him the name Isaac. I will make My agreement with him and for his children after him, an agreement that will last forever. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bring good to him. I will make him grow in number. He will be the father of twelve rulers. I will make him a great nation. 21 But I will make My agreement with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this time next year.”

22 When He had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money, and every man and boy who lived in his house. And he cut off their piece of skin that very day, as God had told him to do. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he had the religious act done of cutting off his piece of skin. 25 His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he had the religious act done of cutting off his piece of skin. 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael had this religious act done that very day. 27 And all the men of his house, who were born in the house or bought with money from a stranger, had this religious act done with him.

It is common for a covenant agreement to have a clause concerning a witness as reminder that the covenant existed. Of course the reminder is for God’s people as God will not forget. In the case of the covenant with Noah, God created rainbows as a reminder. With Abram it is circumcision.

Circumcision was more than just a physical reminder though, it also represents accepting the covenant… a willingness to obey the laws of God. This is somewhat similar to the practice of baptism which is an outward sign of a person accepting Jesus Christ as lord and savior. The physical act is representative of an inner choice.

God’s covenants are typically not just one-sided promises where God says you can reject Him and still be blessed. As in this example, God calls for obedience in our hearts and behaviors as our part and if we do that, then He will be our God and bless us.

Abram… now Abraham…wasted no time to fulfill God’s command. Abraham was already committed to obeying God, so after discussing the covenant and hearing God’s command, Abraham immediately took the appropriate, obedient action. He did not delay or wait until later to do what God asked.

As a moment of reflection… each of us should consider if we obey God when He leads us to take some action (through His word or through other ways He communicates with us). Do we debate God, delay until “later” or obey immediately?

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Discerning / Judging, Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Obeying God

When We Fail to Wait for God

Few would dispute that Abram (later Abraham) was a man of great faith. He enjoyed a personal and close relationship with God. There were times during which Abram demonstrated amazing faith, and then other times, as in Genesis 16 , when we may find ourselves asking… “Why did he do that?” while we read the scriptures.

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. 3 So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)

4 So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”

6 Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. 8 The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.

9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” 10 Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”

11 And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. 12 This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

13 Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.”[a] She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” 14 So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.

We must observe that Abram and Sarai’s choice to try to fulfill  God’s plan rather than waiting on God resulted in much trouble and sorrow for them and for generations to follow. It is a great reminder to us in our journey with God not to be discouraged and quit when we make mistakes, but rather to pick ourselves up and resume our journey with God as best we can, asking forgiveness and trying to learn from our mistakes.

One aspect we can learn from Abram’s actions in this passage is how to wait on God and how to discern if a solution someone proposes lines up with the word of God. The idea that Abram should have a child through Hagar, who was not his wife, to help God accomplish His promise to Abram is clearly not an idea from God. It does not line up with God’s instruction as to marriage being between one man and one woman and sexual relations being reserved only for a husband and wife in marriage. He commanded this at the beginning with Adam and Eve.

We must challenge ourselves not to try to hurry God’s timing by finding our own solutions to speed things up. We must wait on God to enjoy the fullness of what He has in store for us.

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Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Obeying God

A Conversation With God

Abram has a personal conversation with God in Genesis 15 that gives wonderful insight into the character of God.

15 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”

2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”

4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

7 Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.”

8 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?”

9 The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. 11 Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.

12 As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. 15 (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) 16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”

17 After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. 18 So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt[a] to the great Euphrates River— 19 the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

What a wonderful God we serve that as His humble servants we can openly share our feelings and desires. Of course He already knows them, but it is very encouraging to read God’s response when Abram expresses his desire to have a son. Abram talks to God openly and honestly. God does not get mad. He knows Abram is His righteous servant.

God is not surprised by what Abram tells Him. Quite the opposite, without missing a beat God answers that Abram will have a son. In fact, when God tells Abram how many descendants he will have, Abram is counted righteous for his faith in believing God.

When God tells Abram about the land He will give to Abram, Abram is able to ask about it without reprimand. God instead gives him instructions and then later gives even more details to Abram about what will happen to his descendants.

How wonderful that we, as God’s servants, can still be counted righteous even when we have questions and doubts on some details of what may come our way. What a gracious God we serve.

Also important in this scripture, we get some insight into why God allowed His people to be bound as servants to the Egyptians for 400 years. God is gracious and slow to anger… the sins of the Amorites did not yet at that time warrant their destruction. God also mentions the fact that His people will come out of bondage to Egypt with great wealth.

A third benefit we recognize from reading later scripture is that the means by which God sets His people free from bondage in Egypt is dramatic and memorable… the 10 plagues and then the parting of the Red Sea and destruction of Pharaoh’s army that pursued. God brought His people out of Egypt in a dramatic way in which He showed His power and glory so memorably that we still talk about it thousands of years later and it continues to honor the name of God.

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Hearing from God, Prayer

Keep on Asking

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Matthew 7:7-11 is part of what we commonly refer to as the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus is addressing His disciples regarding what it means to live a righteous life.

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Jesus is deliberate in using the metaphor of a parent and a child to help put into context what He is teaching. Good parents want their children to come before them and express their desires… even if the parents are already aware of the situation. It shows respect, humility, and faith to ask for help. It reaffirms that you want their help and demonstrates you know you cannot do it yourself.

However, even when we listen… and love our children… we do not always give them specifically what they ask for. Instead we may give them what they need or something that better addresses their desires than even they can identify.

A few closing thoughts…

  • God loves us and wants to give us good things, even if they are different than that for which we ask.
  • The more time we spend with God in prayer and in His word, the better we will understand what to ask for that is most in line with God’s will and God’s character.
  • Jesus tells us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking. He does not say… “Stop asking me. I already heard you.” We may continue until we receive His answer.
  • Coming before Jesus with our requests also gives us an opportunity to spend time listening to what He may tell us. Prayer is more than a time just to make requests, but also a time to hear answers.

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Consequences of Sin, Hearing from God, How do I get started?, Prayer

What If God Is Silent When I pray?

Sometimes when we pray for something, even something that may be righteous and in line with God’s instruction, we do not hear back from God a “yes” or a “no” or even “later”. We hear silence. Our first reaction is often that God does not hear or does not care. The scriptures tell us differently.

Henry and Richard Blackaby cover this subject well in Hearing God’s Voice. There are several areas for personal reflection when we feel we are hearing nothing back from God in regards to our prayers.

If we allow sin to remain in our lives, God will not respond to our prayers. If we hear silence returned for prayers we may consider what sin we may have in our lives.

  • If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. [Psalm 66:18]
  • Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.  It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. [Isaiah 59:1-2]

Though all sin creates separation between ourselves and our holy God, the Bible highlights a few specific examples of sin that can impede our prayer life:

We must also consider whether or not we have faith for God to answer our prayer.

Ultimately we must learn to trust Jesus whether He answers our prayers with a “yes”, “no”, or “later”. We submit and declare “Your will be done, not mine.” If we hear only silence, we should spend time reflecting on any areas of sin in our life that may be separating us from God. We should repent, come before God humbly and ask forgiveness.  God hears and cares always.

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Hearing from God, How do I get started?, Prayer

Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer?

Sometimes it may feel like God is not answering our prayers. Often when we feel this way it is because we have asked for something and He did not give us the specific thing for which we asked. Because He did not say “yes” and “right now”, we feel like He did not hear, is not listening, or does not care.

For those of us that are parents or have even been around children, we recognize that giving them everything they ask for is not the answer that demonstrates the most wisdom or love for those children. They may ask to eat nothing but candy all day… and get a sick stomach, or ask to play in the street… and get hit by a car. We use our wisdom to decide when to answer “yes”,” no”, or “later”.

It is the same way with God. He loves us as His children and wants the best for us, but often times what we are asking for is not what is best for us. We must trust in God when He answers “yes” and when he answers “no”. So too when He has different timing than we had in mind… “yes, but later”.

Our prayers most honor God and are most likely to be answered with “yes” when we are praying for things that are pleasing to God and are in His will. Once again, this makes perfect sense to us when we think about children asking us for things. For example, if a child asks for eating candy all day the answer is “no”. If the child asks for an opportunity to take care of her little brother and show him love doing something he really likes… the answer is much more likely to be “yes” or “yes, but later”.

Sometimes God may hear and answer our prayer but it is in a different way than we expected or asked. We may ask God to grant us our desire to marry a particular individual that seems a great choice. God may deny this request and answer later by providing someone He knows will be a better choice in His timing. Similarly it could be the same individual but at a different time when we are better prepared for a successful, godly marriage.

One of the greatest examples of a “no” answer was when Jesus came in prayer before He was taken into custody to be crucified.

Matthew 26:39 [Jesus] went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Jesus asked for something, but willingly submitted to God’s will. Through an answer of “no” to the most righteous person ever to walk the earth, God provided a path to salvation for the rest of us through accepting Jesus Christ as our lord and savior.

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