“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

We believe God answers every prayer.  Scripture teaches us to call on Him and He will answer.  But sometimes in His wisdom and purpose, His answer to us is “No”  or “Not yet.”  We never want to hear this answer, but we should see God’s denial as an opportunity to trust Him more.  Our Heavenly Father loves us deeply, and wants what is best for our lives.

Every parent makes decision about what is best for your children.  I’ve heard my share of Daddy, daddy, daddy, can I have?  Can we have?  Often times what is best for my children is no.  

What do you do when you’ve asked for a good thing, when you pray with the right motive and God says no?  What do you do when you have been overruled?  You’ve prayed and you’ve prayed and you’ve prayed and God says no.

The Apostle Paul prayed for God to remove his "thorn in the flesh" but God said no. He said his grace was sufficient for Paul's life. Sufficient = ENOUGH.  God’s grace is enough.  You have enough to get through this.  Enough strength.  Enough wisdom.  Enough peace.   Enough joy.  Enough power.

Even when the answer is no, God is still at work in our lives. Sometimes God responds with a no answer to our prayer to teach us to trust him or to help us grow.

Sometimes, in prayer, What you are asking for is good.  It’s honorable.  Your motives are right.  But it simply is not God’s will.  

Two important truths about God’s denial:

1.  When God says no, we recognize that He is our sovereign Lord. What we learn from the biblical examples is that God never stops being God.

2.  When God says no, we trust He has a better plan, and we patiently wait for it.

Today’s Challenge:  My response when God says no…

• I will acknowledge God’s faithful presence.
• I will affirm his power in every situation
• I will accept God’s purpose in my life.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think God sometimes says "no" to our prayers?
• Can you tell of a story when God said no?
• What should our response be when God says no?

Recommended Resource: The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer

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