Praying Like JesusНамуна

Day 28: What Happens IF God Says No?

"Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: 'In a certain town, a judge neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And a widow in that town kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” For some time, he refused. But finally, he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”'” – Luke 18:1-5

The parable of the unjust judge in Luke 18:1-5 teaches us about persistence in prayer, but it also reveals a crucial contrast. The judge in the parable, who doesn’t fear God or care about people, grants the widow's request to get rid of her persistence. Jesus tells this story to emphasize that if even an unjust judge will grant a request due to persistence, how much more will God, who is just and good, answer our prayers?

But what happens when God says no? Jesus is showing us that God is not like this unjust judge. He isn’t giving us something only to silence our requests. His response is always filled with love, wisdom, and goodness. When God says no, it is not out of indifference or neglect but out of His perfect understanding of what is best for us.

We are leaning on God's greatness when we ask for miracles in impossible situations. If God says no, it is not an insult to His greatness but an opportunity for us to examine His goodness. This is His love for us on display, and He will not give us something that would harm us or set us up for destruction. Even His no is an example of His ultimate desire for the good that He is establishing in your life.

It’s challenging to face the reality that sometimes God’s answer is "no," but we must remember that His goodness is not measured by the things He gives us but by His perfect will for our lives. A "no" from God is not rejection; it is His way of guiding us toward something better. God knows what is best for us, even when it doesn’t align with our immediate desires.

Today, reflect on areas where you may have experienced a "no" answer from God. Trust that His goodness and love are evident in His decisions for you, even when they don’t align with your requests. You can be confident that God is always working in your best interest.