Subject: Anything asked will be given |
Bible Note: You ask ”Can you give me a bible quote that says that God will not answer the faithful prayers of his church if it is not his will.” So was Paul lacking in faith when his requests weren’t answered in the manner he desired or was this request outside of God’s will? 2Corinthians 12:7-10: 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. “It is one of the instances in which the fervent prayer of a good man, offered undoubtedly in faith, was not answered in the form in which he desired, though substantially answered in the assurance of grace sufficient to support him. It furnishes, therefore, a very instructive lesson in regard to prayer, and shows as that we are not to expect as a matter of course that all our prayers will be literally answered, and that we should not be disappointed or disheartened if they are not. It is a matter of fact that not all the prayers even of the pious, and of those who pray having faith in God as a hearer of prayer, are literally answered. Thus, the prayer of David 2Sa_12:16-20 was not literally answered; the child for whose life he so earnestly prayed died. So the Saviour’s request was not literally answered, Mar_14:36. The cup of suffering which he so earnestly desired should be taken away was not removed. So in the case before us; compare also Deu_3:23-27; Job_30:20; Lam_3:8. So in numerous cases now, Christians pray with fervour and with faith for the removal of some calamity which is not removed; or for something which they regard as desirable for their welfare which is withheld. Some of the reasons why this is done are obvious:” – Albert Barnes Barnes further pointed out the following as the obvious: “The grace that will be imparted if the calamity is not removed will be of greater value to the individual than would be the direct answer to his prayer.” “It might not be for the good of the individual who prays that the exact thing should be granted.” “God has often some better thing in store for us than would be the immediate answer to our prayer Who can doubt that this was true of Paul?” “It would not be well for us, probably, should our petition be literally answered. Who can tell what is best for himself? If the thing were obtained, who can tell how soon we might forget the benefactor and become proud and self-confident?” People get more answers than they think, they just overlook them because they aren’t what the expected or what they knew they would receive. As if we know better than God. Stand in His grace, WOS |