SEPT. 26 - Prayer: God's Surprising Answers

This past Sunday, I referenced a great message from Robert Schuller about God's surprising answers to prayer. Here is a portion of that message:

When you pray, are you ready for the answers? You pray for it. What if you get what you asked for? Are you really ready for that? It's been said, be careful what you pray for; you may get it. But then, what will you do? How will you handle it? It depends on what the answer is, obviously, that's a given.

In the old classic prayer that Schuller wrote forty-eight years ago: God answers prayer either with a "no," "slow," "grow," or "go."

If the ideas not right it'll be a "no." If it's wrong it will be a "no." If it will hurt others, the answer may be a "no." There are lots of reasons why a God of love would give a "no" answer to a lot of prayers. Can you handle that? Yes, by simply knowing that God knows more than you do and His answer will be a blessing even if it's spelled "n-o." Are you ready for the answer?

Then, when the timing is not right, God says "slow." Not no, but "slow." But God's delays are not God's denials. You've heard me say that before. What a catastrophe if God answered every prayer the way we asked for it when we wanted it. How do you answer that prayer when the prayer is wait? Do you know the word "wait" is used over three hundred times in the Bible? Think of that. If God answered it when and the way you wanted it, whose working for who anyway?

When the IDEA is not right, it'll be a "no" and that will be a blessing. When the TIME is not right, the answer will be "slow." When you are not right, the answer will be "grow."

The selfish person has to grow in unselfishness. The cautious person must grow in courage. Because if he gave it to you without growing in courage you'd misuse it or run away from it. The timid person must grow in confidence. If you don't grow in confidence, you won't give leadership to it. The dominating person must grow in sensitivity so people will be able to work with you affectionately. The critical person must grow in tolerance. The negative person has to grow in a positive attitude towards details because God is always in the details.

So, when the IDEA is not right, God says "no." When the TIME is not right, God says "slow." When YOU are not right, God says "grow." And when everything is on target, God says "go."

Then the miracles happen. The hopeless alcoholic is set free. There's a new mood. There's a new momentum. There's a new insight. There's a new perception. There's a new awareness. The drug addict finds release and the doubter becomes a believer. Disease tissue comes to life. The door to the dream suddenly swings open and suddenly there's God standing smiling and saying come in. We're ready for you. And God makes the miracle happen. Hallelujah.


JOHN 14:13-14 (nrsv). I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

St. Augustine (AD 354-430) shares some helpful thoughts on this passage:

When a person would make a bad use of what he asks for, God in his mercy does not grant him it. If God even in kindness often refuses the requests of believers, how are we to understand "Whatever you shall ask in my name, I will do"?

Wake up, believer, and note what is stated here - "IN MY NAME." That is Christ Jesus. Whatever we ask for that would hinder our salvation, we do not ask in our Savior's name. When he sees us ask anything to the disadvantage of our salvation, he shows himself our Savior by not doing it.

The physician knows whether what the sick person asks for is to the advantage or disadvantage of his health. And the physician does not allow what would be harmful to him, though the sick person himself desires it.


1 JOHN 5:14-15 (nrsv). This is the boldness we have in 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 obtained the requests made of him.


Bede, a 7th century English monk (672-735 AD) writes:

John repeats what he has already said many times over, in order to stir us up to more vibrant prayer. But the condition which he imposed at the beginning remains valid, which is that we must ask according to our Maker's will. There are two sides to this, because on the one hand we are expected to ask for the things which he wants us to ask for, and at the same time we are expected to come to understand what those things are. This is what it means to have the kind of faith wich works through love.