I threw my Hebrews Bible Study group for a loop when I raised this question.
I suggested that scripture says He does not. I also confessed that my initial reaction to this question is to say, “Of course He does,” but I cannot find scriptural authority for that answer. I should also say that just about everyone who I have ever asked this question also says He does. I’m just not so sure. I realize this goes against everything that is rational and against everything we have ever been taught, but it is something I’ve been mulling over for quite some time now.
Now, my assertion, or suggestion really, requires several caveats (just to name a few):
- God can only do what God can do. I don’t think God is able to answer a prayer that would harm one believer in favor of another, for example. Nor do I think God is able to answer prayer that is made sinfully (translated selfishly, impatiently, etc.).
- God will not go against His Word. If a prayer is contrary to scripture, or requires something unscriptural of others, it cannot be answered.
- God cannot heal, relieve you of, or deliver you from certain conditions brought about by unforgiveness, for example, or willful sin, without the requisite forgiveness or confession and repentance.
- God’s answers aren’t always the answers we expect. For example, an answer to prayer for financial breakthrough might include learning about budgeting, or saving, or giving as prerequisites to God handing someone a big fat check; but, if the one praying just wants the check without the means to handle the funds, whose really saying, “No”?
There are others, of course, but, rather than simply tell me how wrong I am, I would ask that you think about the example(s) you come up with and see if they do not fit into one of these categories first. Our group raised a few interesting examples, and I will try and treat the categories of answers in a later post, but I want to know what you, my dear reader, think.
#1 by syellison on December 31, 2009 - 9:34 pm
Not to try and make this a trick question, but since “technically” prayer is just conversation with the Father, I could say “Father, should I drive to Athens, Ga? for my vacation?” and I may feel in my spirit that the Father has said “No”.
More to the point of your question, if I am asking for a ‘specific result or a specific item’ I do believe that that answer can be ‘No’ as well. A section of scripture that comes to mind is when David desired to build a temple for the Father – the answer being ‘no’ (at least not by David’s hands).
Another section of scripture -maybe not quite along the lines of asking for a specific ‘something’- that comes to mind is in Acts 27. Paul perceived in his spirit that the voyage he was making with the other men would end in damage to the cargo/ship as well as loss of life.
I can imagine that Paul asked the Father, ‘will this trip result in our death?’ since that was what he was sensing in his spirit.
An angel appeared to him later and advised him that no life would be lost, just damage to the ship. In essence, the Father said ‘no’ to his perception about loss of life.
Your caveats are very important, I believe, to how we handle our relationship with the Father; particularly #4. Most mature believers know that caveats 1-3 are going to give then a ‘no’ answer but we can get tripped up on #4. The Father’s sense of timing, the season we are in, what the Father is teaching us, where we are in our growth, where He is taking us and what our specific purpose in the Kingdom is can make the Father give us a ‘no’ answer which may just be a ‘not now’ or it may really be a ‘no, never’
#2 by Peter on January 4, 2010 - 4:48 pm
That is a thoughtful response; really the kind of thing I was looking for. I think we probably agree on a lot of this, and Paul was an example that came up during our discussions.
#3 by mondaymorningreview on January 4, 2010 - 12:50 pm
I just don’t know what this is going to do to my Garth Brooks theology.
#4 by Peter on January 4, 2010 - 4:49 pm
Elaborate please…
#5 by Chuck Grantham on January 5, 2010 - 1:22 am
I prayed to God for an answer to this. He said “No”.
I now know He DOES have a sense of humor, however.
#6 by Peter on January 5, 2010 - 5:42 pm
Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, if you only knew…I prayed before you and I asked that God mess with anyone trying to be clever, so He really meant, “Yes,” but to me.
#7 by Erik on January 7, 2010 - 4:07 pm
I entered this blog, and asked God if I could find anything of interest and inspiration here, and he said: “NO!”
Naaah! Joking.
Was coming here from a reply you made over at Scripture Zealot, and I have found a lot of interesting things here. I will stay around for a while and look, and sometimes I might even give you a short reply to some of your posts.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to rund this blog and post here about your view and your fascination for the Word of God.
God bless from Norway.
#8 by Peter on January 11, 2010 - 4:12 pm
Thanks, Eric. I hope you come around often.
#9 by sidleejr on January 16, 2010 - 5:52 pm
You fellows should try reading the Bible instead of making these wild speculations.
Did yoou never read in James that the tongue is evil?
1) “… why have you tured your face from us?”
2) “They (New Jerusalem; founded AD 77) will see His face, and His name will be in their foreheads (Minds)” – REv 22.4.
So then, when I am free from bodily afflictions, and God is sustainig me adequately, then, ‘I see His face.’”
When I am in distress, then, “He has turned His face from me.”
But, I have been “speaking to the Mountain (Beast and false Prophet’s kingdom), and the news is about God moving the Mountain from here to there.
When I was a young man, I wished I could, “Speak to the Mountain (Kingdom) and she woud move from here to there.” But I did not know what this meant.
Now, I knowe and God is moving the Mountain (Rev 20.10) into the Lake of Fire.
This will be consumated in “Revival 2015.”
Yes! God answers my prayers!
#10 by Dianne Adams on February 4, 2010 - 3:58 am
God do answers prayer every prayer, but the answer is not allway Yes.
Can you imagine what the world would be like is God answered yes to all of our prayer. We would be in control and not him. God has a devine will and his will, will be done in every aspect of his creation.
Sometime the answer is Yes, sometime no, and sometime wait.
#11 by Dianne Adams on February 4, 2010 - 4:03 am
#12 by Dave Dingman on February 23, 2010 - 12:34 pm
God answers every prayer. For example Ps 138:3, John 14:13 & 14, John 15:7, 1 John 5:14 & 15, 1 John 3:22. The key is our abiding in Him and asking according to His will. Many times we look for our answers to come in a particular fashion. God is not restricted to the finite confines of our thinking. We should be looking for the end result and not the method so much. Many times we interpret things by our limited perspective and misinterperet the answer and assume that the answer is no before we see the end result. 1 John 5:14 & 15 tells us that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us and since He hears us we know that we have the petitions we have made of Him. Verse 15 indicates we have the petition as soon as we ask since it is according to His will.
His overall will for us is contained in 3 John 2. He wants His children to prosper in temporal things and be in health, even as our souls prosper.
#13 by Buddy Holder on March 18, 2010 - 9:24 pm
Dave, I like what you say. Why doesn’t everyone see this simple truth. It would be impossible to have the faith Jesus speaks of if you believe for a moment that God may say “No” to your prayers. Way to go Dave.