Why doesn’t God give us everything we ask for?

Have you ever asked God for a million dollars? How about a new car or a different job? I have. Did you get it? I haven’t either. Or maybe you’ve asked Him for something much less extravagant, but still haven’t received it.

Maybe it was because you weren’t praying this super-secret prayer that will insure God gives you everything you could ever ask for.

….

After doing a bunch of research I’ve discovered that this prayer only exists on April 1st.

The truth is God doesn’t just give us whatever we want.

It can be frustrating. The apostle Paul would understand. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul writes that he had a “thorn in his side.” He doesn’t go into detail about what that thorn was, but he does say that he asked God 3 times to remove it and God refused. God told Paul His (God’s) grace was sufficient.

In Matthew, Jesus asked whether parents would give their kids a stone when they asked for bread or a snake when they asked for fish. Of course not! He followed that to say that God, our Father, knows how to give good gifts, too, when we ask. However, as Paul discovered, God’s good gifts aren’t always what we ask for or what we want.

That’s because what we ask for isn’t always good.

God knows what is best for us and that is what He gives us. Sometimes a million dollars would hurt us in the long run or draw us away from Him. Sometimes we need to stay in at a job we don’t really like so we can minister to someone there. Who knows? Well…God does. And that’s why He gives the gifts that are truly good.

Heavenly Father,

You are the giver of all good gifts. Thank You for taking care of me. Thank You for listening to me. Help me to trust Your goodness, even when Your answer to my prayer is, “No.”

Amen.