8/25/2010
Introduction: Garth Brooks, who popularized country music in the 90’s, wrote a popular song based on his own life story called “Unanswered Prayers.”
Just the other night at a hometown football game
My wife and i ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be
She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again
(chorus)
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when your talkin to the man upstairs
That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
I agree with Brooks, some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. Interestingly 1990-1994 were one of the most testing years of my Christian faith. It was a time where I saw some prayers were answered and some were not. I lost my mother in 1989, whom I loved the most. That brought a deep void within me. During that period of grief and loss I was searching for someone to fulfill my need, lo and behold one girl came into my life. I sincerely thought she was God’s gift and an answer to all my loneliness and the pain I was going through. So I earnestly prayed to God that he would grant me that one request and I would happily serve Him for the rest of my life. But some events happened and that girl vanished from my life as quickly as she came in and I never saw her again. It was an unanswered prayer!. Thank God for that unanswered prayer otherwise I would not have met the wonderful woman I am married to, Wilma, is the best thing that ever happened to me after getting saved.
Hasn’t Christ taught us to “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”? (Matt 7:7) We were told by Paul that in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving we should present our requests to God.” When we just do that then how come some of our prayers, have been turned down? Is God lying? Or is he incapable to deliver what he has promised? I don’t know why God doesn’t answer certain prayers but I do know one thing that He never makes a mistake and he is always just. Then how do I respond when he doesn’t seem to make sense and the heavens seem to be silent? When my prayers are not answered what reason do I still have to pray? Can I still trust God even when I won’t get what I want? Let’s look at a few people in the Bible and how they have responded to God even when their prayers were not answered.
I. A FATHER’S REQUEST FOR HIS SON’S RECOVERY: (2 Samuel: 11, 12)
David lusted after Bathsheba and committed adultery with her and eventually murdered her husband Uriah. On two counts David was guilty, he violated two commandments of God which says, “You shall not commit adultery and you shall not kill.” God rebuked him through Nathan the prophet. David confessed and repented of his sin. It is never OK for us to commit adultery and kill some body if we do, we face the consequences. In David’s case God struck his son with illness.
As a loving father David fasted and pleaded with God for seven whole days and nights for the life of the Child. But in the end his request for his son’s recovery was turned down and the child died. Upon hearing of the death of his son how did David respond? He got up from the ground, took a bath, put on perfume and went into the House of God and worshiped then went into his own house and asked his servants to serve him some food.
The servants were surprised by his strange behavior and asked him why are acting this way. David answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, I thought, who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live. But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will got o him but he will not return to me.”
There is a principle here for us to learn. God is in control of every situation and he will do whatever is best for us. Some times we fast, and pray for our loved ones who are sick, hoping that perhaps God will be gracious and heal them. That is the right thing to do, but for some reason if God doesn’t heal and takes them home we must not grow bitter and upset with God. Instead like David we must come back to Church to worship him because he is still God and is worthy of our worship.
Just very recently several families close to us have experienced excruciating loss. I am sure they must have prayed and done everything they could possibly do, but in the end it must have been God’s will to take them home. We may never understand the reasons why?
II. A PROPHET’S CRY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE:(Habakkuk)
In the seventh century B.C there lived a prophet by name Habakkuk. During his time God’s people Israel were disobedient to God, the prophet realized that God was going to use the godless military machine of Babylon to bring God’s judgment on God’s own people. Using a godless nation to punish a godly nation? It didn’t make any sense to the prophet. He dared to voice his feelings that God didn’t know his own God business. Not a day has passed since then that one of us hasn’t picked up and repeated Habakkuk’s bafflement, “God you don’t seem to make sense.”
Many Evangelical Christians here in the USA are going through the same bafflement. We wail and complain that this nation is turning away from its godly heritage. We watch with dismay the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous. Habakkuk cried out to God saying, (I read from the Message) “God, how long do I have to cry out for help before you listen? How many times do I have to yell, “Help Murder Police before you come to the rescue? Why do you force me to look at evil, stare trouble in the face day after day? Anarchy and violence break out, quarrels and fights all over the place. Law and order fall to pieces. Justice is a joke. The wicked have the righteous hamstrung and stand justice on its head.”(Habakkuk 1:1-4,)
Like the prophet Habakkuk we too want to cry out for social justice and peace in our land. We want God to punish the wicked and bless the righteous. Has God answered Habakkuk’s prayer for justice? As we read the book we understand that God did not change the situation at least at that time but he certainly changed the prophet’s heart and his perspective. After having an encounter with God this is what the prophet declares, “though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen, though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, though the sheep pens are sheep less and the cattle barns empty, I am singing joyful praise to God. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on God’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I’m king of the mountain.”
In other words the prophet is saying, “No matter what happens; whether there is justice or no justice I trust my God and rejoice in the fact that he is my father and I am his child. That’s what happens in the place of prayer; God may not necessarily change the situation but can certainly change your heart and give you His perspective on things.
II. A SAVIOR’S PRAYER FOR PERSONAL DELIVERANCE:
The previous two examples were the prayers offered by people on behalf of others. The following two examples are more of a personal in nature. It was the time where Jesus was getting ready to complete the assignment that was entrusted to him which was to die on the cross so that he might purchase salvation for mankind. Just imagine what goes through your mind if you are going to be executed tomorrow. On the night he was betrayed he decided to spend the night alone to talk to his father rather to request his him if somehow he could escape the oncoming punishment.
Jesus fully knowing the type of death he was going to face, cried out to his father saying, “My father, if it is possible, may this cup be take from me. But in the same breath he said, Yet not as I will but as you will.” Did the father grant that request? There was silence from the father. By then Jesus got the message, but he tried one more time in case father may have changed his mind. Jesus said for the second time, “My father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it may your will be done.”(Matt 26:39-42)
I thank God that, the prayer of Jesus was not answered; otherwise you and I would still be condemnation. When his request was rejected Jesus did not lead a rebellion against the father instead he was obedient even unto death on the cross. Jesus Christ gave up his life unselfishly so that you and I might live forever with the father in heaven.
When we go through the most difficult and painful times in life it is natural that we cry out to God for him to take away that pain. Job, in the midst of his suffering said to his wife, “shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? Some times no matter how hard we pray God may not remove that painful situation from our lives so that we will learn to depend on Him and in the end He gets the glory through that situation.
When we pray and ask God to remove a mountain in our lives he may remove it, if not he will give you the needed strength to either climb the mountain or a dig a tunnel through it.
IV. A MISSIONARY’S PLEA FOR PHYSICAL HEALING:(2 COR 12:4-9)
The apostle Paul perhaps is one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Church. He had extraordinary insights and visions that none of the other apostles had, In fact he was caught up in his spirit into heaven. Paul had more reasons to boast than any one else. But he had as he called it a “thorn in the flesh” Speculation has abounded on what it is that Paul means when he refers to his “thorn in the flesh.” Some say it is his poor eyesight, malaria, migraine headaches and epilepsy. No one can say for sure what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was; but probably some sort of physical ailment or a spiritual attack.
Paul calls the thorn in the flesh as a messenger of Satan to torment him. Whatever it may be and however he got it, we know the purpose which was to keep Paul humble, lest he be proud with all the extraordinary revelations he received from God. It was indeed a messenger of Satan, allowed by God. It was a nasty, painful irritation to hinder Paul from preaching the word of God effectively. Paul just did not accept it and settled to his fate but he earnestly prayed to God to remove it. Did God answer his prayer? God did not remove the struggle instead he gave his grace to face the struggle. Therefore Paul could say I will boast in my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
No one is immune to situations of complete bafflement, pain, agony, broken dreams, promises, and disappointments in life. We tend to reason: Lord I have served you, I have been faithful to you, this shouldn’t be happening to me. Lord, you are not keeping your end of the bargain! Not getting our way can be the hardest thing. When all seems to go haywire we feel like quitting because God doesn’t make sense to us.
This is where the rubber hits the road and where a real sifting takes place. Times like this can be the test of true faith but it can also be a stepping stone to greater maturity. Why do we get upset when our prayers are not answered? Is it because we have a sense of entitlement, does God always have to answer our prayers the way we think He should? Dear friends, God is so much greater, so much more powerful, loving, wise and understanding than we can ever comprehend. Are we called to tell God what he should or should not do or simply to submit our requests, petitions, and prayers to God with thanksgiving? After having done that, we should leave the rest for his discretion. After all He is God isn’t he?
No matter what happens let’s not get mad at God. When God doesn’t answer your prayers it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love you. The opposite is true because he loves you so much he withholds any thing that can be hurtful to you and damages your relationship with him. Isn’t that how we deal with our children? At times we say no to certain requests of theirs because we know they may be harmful to them. When children trust their parent’s wisdom when they say no, they grow up to be better children, than the rest of the kids who always get it their way.
Our journey with a loving and caring God continues to be the greatest adventure of our life. To know God, our Maker and our Creator and to hold on to His strong and powerful hand in the midst of things that are a mystery to us and to continue to trust Him is a challenge. That is our journey not just as individuals but as a Church. Amen
