Results for Prayer
You may relate to this experience. I knew a woman who expressed her opposition to belief in God. Her reason was related to an incident from her childhood; she was only 9 years old. She had a little friend who became ill with cancer. She told me that, being from a Catholic family, she prayed fervently for the girl’s healing every night. Sadly, she did not recover. That was enough for this woman to reject her belief in God and grow bitter toward Christianity. God had not responded to her prayers as she believed He should, so she no longer wanted anything to do with Him. Do you know people like that?
Often, we hear people say things like “I can’t believe in a God who…” then they complete the sentence with what amounts to their unmet expectation of God. For example, the woman in my story might have said, “I can’t believe in a God who would ignore my prayers and let that innocent little girl die!” Millions of people have used such excuses for their rejection of God.
The problem is not God or His ability to answer prayer. He does not lack the power to do as we ask. He is not uncaring toward the innocent among us. The issue is people’s understanding of God; the problem is theology. People who say “I can’t believe in a God who…” shouldn’t believe in that God, because he does not exist! They’re not describing the God of the Bible.
A deeper understanding of God leads to a greater acceptance of His answers to prayer. You learn His will may not be in line with your will. Some will wonder how that can be when they pray for something good, like a child’s healing. In Isaiah 55:8, God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.” It follows that His will is not always the same as ours either.
Some try to assure that God gives them the answers they want. Theology is the issue here too. Taking certain verses out of context like, “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22). They go about assuring themselves that they can control God’s response to their prayers by applying the right formula. By believing enough, having enough faith, anything we ask of God will be granted. If not, we simply need more faith. Unfortunately, that’s a formula for frustration.
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. —1 John 5:14-15
What does that mean? Again, the better we know God through His Word, the more we understand what it means to ask “according to His will.” First, Scripture lays out the will of God in many areas. For example, it gives us His direct will in areas of sin, righteousness, and morality. It doesn’t give us His specific will for answers to prayers for things like the healing of a little girl. But we know according to His Word, we should ask God and trust Him for the results.
Since we know the God of the Bible and have good theology, we know He permits certain things for reasons we may not understand. This falls under what we call His “permissive will.” We pray believing He hears us because we’re praying for His will. By praying for what God wants, you can’t help but have the requests you ask from Him.
People pray for results. Depending on their perspective, they may or may not experience disappointment with prayer. We pray, believing we know what the outcome should be. But we must trust that only God knows that. Still, we pray. And the more we pray, the better we understand God, the closer our relationship grows. In time, we appreciate that the most significant results of prayer are wrought within the one who prays.
“and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”
—1 Peter 1:8-9
Doug Posey