I recently had a medical situation where there was a possibility of cancer. A biopsy was performed, then further sampling and testing was done, with only precancerous changes noted. Treatment was instituted with medications to reverse those changes. Prayers were said for my health, for a positive outcome, all across the country, and even a few from across the ocean. Prior to a repeat biopsy, many people said they were praying for a positive result, and they just knew that everything would come back OK because they were praying in Jesus' name, with true faith, and fervently that all would be well. The Bible gives us many examples of fervent prayers being answered affirmatively, and that the sick will be made well.
There are times in life when we pray for something, that we feel we know God will answer in the way we expect, because God loves us and has promised us good things if we love him, and promises to answer our prayers. In my case, my biopsy results were less than optimal, leading to surgery we had hoped to avert. What happens when prayers are not answered as asked? Did we not have enough faith? Did we not pray fervently enough? Did we not go to God enough times and insist? I knew that sometimes our will and God's will do not match up, that God sometimes has other plans even when we don't understand them. God was not at fault here, humans made a false assumption that they knew God's will. We must always pray our desires, but those who are "righteous" will always pray that God's will not their own will be done.
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16 NIV
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:32-36 NIV
We know that after Jesus prayed this most gut-wrenching prayer to be spared from torture and death on the cross, that he still had to go through that awful pain. His prayer was not answered affirmatively, not because he did not have strong enough faith or a fervent enough prayer, but because there was a greater need and outcome that God willed to be done. God answers all prayers, just sometimes the answer is "no" or "not yet" or "trust me". Let us take heart then that even Jesus had a prayer that was answered "No" and that God always has the total picture in mind that we cannot always fully see. In the end however, God always has our best interests at heart.
written by Jan Andersen
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