Have you ever gotten a “no” from God?

It knocks the stuffing right out of you, doesn’t it? Especially if you’re praying about something BIG: a sick loved one, an amazing new job, or a deadly war. 

Sometimes we pour hours of prayer into really big asks … stuff that—at least to us—matters a LOT. This makes it hard to understand when God says no.

It can really sting. In fact, for many people, it stings so badly that they turn their backs on God.

But that is never the answer. 

It helps to look at it through the eyes of a parent. Do you have kids or nieces or nephews? If so, then you’ve said no. What are some of the reasons you don’t say yes? To teach them patience? To help them set correct priorities? To enable them to take action? Because you know something they don’t? 

All these are sometimes the reasons we don’t get the answer we want from our heavenly Father. Also, there is sin in this broken world, and—even as Christians—we’re not guaranteed an easy life, getting everything we ask for.

We might not always understand why we don’t get the things we ask for. But our heavenly Father promises to always look after us and to provide the ONLY good things we’ll ever need: forgiveness and saving grace.

“Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:17,18).