The truth is, God doesn’t have to answer our prayers with a yes to have answered our prayers.

Yes, No, or Maybe
God always answers our prayers. He has promised that He does. He always listens to the prayers of the saints and answers them. He just doesn’t always answer them the way we want. That’s because we don’t always ask for good things. Like a good parent, God knows what is best for us and isn’t going to give us something bad just because we asked for it.

• Sometimes God answers, “No.” It’s not an easy answer for us to accept, but we must trust that God is good even when He disagrees with us.
• Sometimes God answers, “Wait.” He will give us what we want, but we have to be patient and trust His timing. That also isn’t easy for us. We want what we want and we want it now!
• Sometimes God answers, “Yes.” This answer we tend to like ;).

Trusting God In All Situations
God tells us that He is our refuge. He will protect and care for us, even if it isn’t in the way we want Him to.

He asks us to trust Him no matter His answer. God doesn’t always remove the hardship we face. Sometimes He knows it’s best for us to walk through it. Can we trust Him as we walk through it? Can we trust that we know He is good and if God’s answer was, “No,” or “Wait,” it is best? Yes!

Thy Will Be Done
For a long time, I thought praying, “Thy will be done,” in prayer was essentially a relenting of my will. Like the child who realizes his complaining isn’t going to change his Mom or Dad’s mind, he gives up trying. However, a while back someone showed me a different perspective.

“Thy will be done,” isn’t a relenting, but a confession of trust. I’m not praying, “Thy will be done,” because I know I can’t win, but because I know God’s will is better than mine. I want His will to be done over my will when we disagree because I know it will be better. I know I can trust His will and His ways and I understand that my will and ways are corrupted by sin and selfishness.

So, let us pray, trusting in God’s good and perfect will. Let us do it looking forward to His answer, even when His answer is, “No,” or “Wait,” for we know that, “No,” or “Wait,” is the best thing we can hear and receive.

Heavenly Father, 

You are a good, good father. You promise to hear and answer all my prayers and I know You do. You promise to work all things for good. Help me to trust Your goodness so that even when you tell me, “No,” or “Wait,” I can rejoice in the answer I have received.

Amen.