30 January

God hears all our prayers and, in one sense, he answers all our prayers. But we do not always receive what we ask for. When we ask God for something, the response will be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or ‘Wait’.

When our prayers don’t seem to be answered, it may be that we don’t see all the implications of what we are asking for. John Stott writes that God will answer ‘No’ if the things we ask for ‘are either not good in themselves, or not good for us or for others, directly or indirectly, immediately or ultimately.’

Psalm 17: David sets us a great example: ‘As for me… I shall be fully satisfied when I awake to find myself beholding your form and having sweet communion with you’ (v.15, AMP). He started each day seeking God’s presence and finding satisfaction in hi

This is the heart of what prayer is all about. It is not just about asking for things; it is about seeking God’s face and enjoying ‘sweet communion with him’.

Matthew 20:20-34New International Version (NIV)

Bill Hybels writes, ‘If the request is wrong God says “No”. If the timing is wrong God says “Slow”. If you are wrong God says “Grow”. But if the request is right and the timing is right and you are right, God says “Go”.’

The apostle James writes, ‘When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives’ (James 4:3). Behind the requests here lay different motives. Both requests were to do with lordship. The request of the blind men came from the recognition that Jesus is Lord, and a desire for something good (Matthew 20:30–33). On the other hand, Jesus points out that the mother’s request came from a desire to ‘lord it over’ others (v.25).

Jesus points out that true greatness does not come from lording it over others or from what the world regards as success (wealth, position, fame or having a ‘successful’ ministry). Rather, he says that true greatness comes from becoming ‘a servant’ – following the example of Jesus who came ‘to serve,not be served’ (vv.26–28). This is an example of where the disciples were wrong and God said ‘Grow’.

Certainly the disciples must have learnt a huge amount from this ‘unanswered’ prayer.

When our friends are suffering we need to avoid being ‘miserable comforters’ (v.2). Job tells us what we should do. He says that if the situation were reversed he would ‘encourage’, ‘comfort’ and ‘strengthen’ them and ‘soothe their suffering’ (v.5, NIV and AMP).

One thing we can always do is to intercede (pray on their behalf) for them. Job said:
‘My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a human being he pleads with God
as one pleads for a friend’ (vv.20–21).

As John Wimber used to say, ‘The good news is that Jesus is praying for us. The bad news is that we are going to need it!’