Digging Deeper – November 30, 2023
16 The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
James 5:16b (NLT)
UNANSWERED PRAYER
James states that “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Yet, why is it that some prayers seem to go unanswered or, even worse, unheard? This arises from our misunderstanding of God’s will. It has been stated that God only answers prayer in three ways: yes, no, and not now.
How sweet the affirmative answer of God. When our Lord was passing near Jericho, a blind beggar pleaded with him to restore his sight (Lk 18:35-53). This request the Lord granted stating, “Recover your sight, your faith has made you well” (v.42). As a result, he “followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God” (v.43).
God sometimes answers our requests with a “no.” Consider that even our Lord Jesus received this response from the Father. On the night that he was betrayed Jesus prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me” (Mt. 26:39). When our Father answers us in this way, we ought to imitate the submission of the Son stating, “I want your will to be done, not mine” (Mt. 26:39).
Sometimes a “no” turns out to be “not now”, although we don’t always understand it in the moment. Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed for a son, but she was barren. When they were “both very old” (Lk 1:7) the angel Gabriel came to tell them “God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John” (Lk 1:13). How long had this God-fearing couple considered their request denied when in fact it was delayed?
Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.