While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him out of death. And God heard his prayers because of his reverence for God.
Hebrews 5:7
When I first read this scripture I thought to myself.......God didn’t answer Jesus’ prayer. I specifically recall the prayer in the garden that Jesus offered up to God. His soul was crushed with grief to the point of death and he said to God, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.” (Matt. 26:38). The next day Jesus was taken into custody, beaten to near death and hung on a cross. From this one might think that Jesus’ pleadings were not heard. After all, Jesus did not get out of his suffering on the cross and that was clearly what he asked of God.......or did he? Listen to the second prayer that Jesus offered up, “My Father if this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done.” (Matt. 26:42) In that moment Jesus was not praying for his life but praying for God’s will. Even though he was crushed with grief to the point of death, Jesus was willing to continue for God because he trusted God's will. He asked that God's will be done and so it was.......answered prayer.
From a worldly perspective we might conclude that God doesn’t answer prayer, but, in fact, He answers all prayers with a bigger picture in front of him. He approaches our prayer with more than just us in mind. For example, Jesus’ prayer to be saved from God’s plan could have spared him suffering and death but the world’s salvation was at stake. God could have saved Jesus but the world would have been lost to sin. God knew what was best for one wasn't necessarily best for all so he had to make a very tough decision. He loved His son dearly and had to make the hardest most unselfish decision in the world.......but it was for the best. God's answers to our prayer involve so much thought and work that we could never ever imagine how it gets done. God works out so many things that are interconnected it makes my head spin! He may say no to us but what we are asking comes from our worldly understanding. We never take into account all of the things unknown to us, the things only God has access to. We just have to believe that he knows best and trust Him to take care of us.
Just watch a child in the toy department at Walmart whose mother tells her no. That child might plead some more, beg and negotiate, and if that doesn’t work you all know what comes next. The fit that takes the child to her knees crying, or maybe she chooses to stomp her feet yelling not so nice things. The fit is the last straw......the last attempt to get her way. She will pull out all tools which includes the dreaded, “I hate you”, or “you’re mean”. I know the feeling of the parent. The embarrassment and the anger you have that your child would act so selfishly and be full of such disrespect. But we know best don’t we? We know that our budget may not include extra toys or what spoiling our children with new toys can do to them.....so we say no. Aside from that ugly show they just performed, we love them still the same. When God does not answer our prayers the way we want it doesn’t mean He loves us any less. He just knows what is best for us. God knows what the world needs and He knows what our circumstance needs. God knows the end result of our patience and obedience. God always knows what’s best for us and those directly involved in our circumstance. He may be using you, like He used His son, to be a source of salvation to those around you.
Is there a request that you have been asking God to take care of? Do you have a specific prayer that you offer up every day and it just doesn’t seem to be getting answered? Don’t be like the kid in the toy store. Don’t get mad at God for not answering your prayer, instead, snuggle in deeper and love Him all the more! He is making a tough decision watching you, His child, suffer while things are getting worked out. Even when you can’t possibly believe that what you are going through right now is what is best, trust God. Don’t look at God’s unanswered prayer as a punishment but an invitation to draw closer to Him. He wants you to obey Him even when His answers are hard to understand. He wants you to say yes to Him even when all the world says no. Learn obedience in the hard times and you will grow to be just like Christ. You will be able to say to God, “Your will be done, not mine.” You will have the strength to endure when you know that you are enduring for something perfect! God is perfect and His answers follow suit!
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