When God says "No."

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17).

God answers every prayer. But He doesn’t always give the answer that we want.

Sometimes the answer is “no.” There are a couple of reasons for this. Many of our prayers are for things that are not good for us. A teenager might pray for a new sports car, but the Lord knows that a hot set of wheels will only get the young man into trouble. A career-minded adult might ask God for a promotion, but the prayer is denied because all the extra time spent at work would lead to a divorce.

Sometimes God says “no” because our prayers don’t line up with His plans for us. A high school graduate might pray to be accepted into a certain university, but if admitted to that institution the young woman won’t meet the professor that can awaken a life-long commitment to medical research. A man might desperately want to change jobs, but God refuses that prayer because the company needs him as a moral anchor and example of ethical conduct.

And there are times when God says “no” to a prayer because it asks for something inappropriate. God loves everyone; He is not going to curse another person just because they’ve made you mad. The Lord is not a vending machine either; He is not going to constantly feed your selfish desires when you should be focused on others as well.

Our Lord knows what you need. He will not answer your prayers by giving you something harmful. A child might see his dad’s gun and want to play with it; a loving father will say no to the request, even though the child doesn’t understand and might even throw a fit. God is our loving Father who is committed to only giving what is best for us. Jesus said, which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11) When we ask God for something and He answers no, don’t get angry or think that God doesn’t care. His “no” is always motivated by love.