As a parent, many times I’ve had one of my children look up at me imploringly asking for something that they would like. Sometimes I can say yes; sometimes I have to say no; and sometimes the request is just impossible, such as: can you take me to the bottom of the ocean someday?As a Christian, God is my Heavenly Father, and I am invited to come to him with my needs just as my children come to me.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6.
Sometimes, I ask a request of him that he can grant; other times he has to say no. Just as it is hard for a child to accept the answer of no from a parent who loves them and wants what’s best for them, sometimes it’s hard for us to accept no from God even though he loves us and knows what’s best for us.
Can we ask things of God that are completely and totally against his will? Yes.
- David did when he asked God to spare the life of his child in 2 Samuel 12:15-18.
- Paul did when he asked God to take away his thorn in the flesh in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
- Moses did when he asked God to let him go into the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 3:24-26.
- And Job did when he said: Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! Then should I yet have comfort… Job 6:8-10.
Job was in such physical, emotional, and spiritual pain that he asked God just to end his life, but God had great things in store for Job after this time of trial was finished. Job’s story is in the Bible because God did not answer his prayer. If you’re not familiar with the story of Job’s life, skip to the end; it’s the best part.
How then can we prevent ourselves from asking for the wrong things? The Bible has an answer for that in I John.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that,
if we ask any thing, according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
I John 5:14, 15
There is a phrase in verse 14 that gives us the answer: according to his will. When we ask something that is God‘s will, we know that he will do it. There are certain things in the Bible, that God promises to do for us; therefore, we can ask and know that he will do it, such as: provide our needs, give us wisdom, help with temptation, enable us to love our brothers, and many others.
What about the times when we do not know what God‘s will is in a matter? Then, we ask God for wisdom to know how to pray because God promises to give wisdom. We ask him for wisdom to know what the next step is while we wait for an answer.
One example would be a physical illness. Can we know as we are praying if a person is going to be healed? Not always. Could it not be that it’s God‘s will for them to have pain, be disabled, or to die?
What about decisions such as college, career, spouse, ministry, hometown, church… can we know his will about those things? Yes, we can if we ask. James 1:5 says, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
So, why do we not ask for the right thing – wisdom? Sometimes we don’t ask for wisdom because we forget to or don’t think to; we just know in our mind or heart that this is what God should do so we ask him to do it. Other times, we on purpose do not ask either because we’re upset with God and don’t want to hear his answer or because we already know what the answer is. For example, a young lady may ask and ask and ask for the Lord to mend a relationship that she should not be in; a young man may ask and ask and ask for a job that God does not want him to have. I think we all have had situations like that where if we had just asked for wisdom, God would have shown us that the request we’ve been asking for is not in his will.
What a frustration to continue to get the answer no because we’re not asking in his will. Sometimes when I am uncertain about what to ask for this is how I pray:
Dear Lord, I know that you have a perfect will for this situation,
but I’m not sure what it is.
This is what I would like (name your request),
but I want what you want more. Show me how to pray.
One last thought, we should be thankful that God does not give us everything that we ask for. I’m sure Job was thankful when after all of his troubles were over, God restored to him the things that were lost and blessed him with a long and joyous life.
