The Blessing of Unanswered Prayer

The Blessing of Unanswered Prayer by Dick Brogden

“And going a little farther, Jesus fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me’” Matthew 26:39.

And the Father said no.

I was in Palermo, Sicily, and late one night I was talking with my friends Alan, Jason, and David. Alan serves in Thailand, Jason in China, and David in Lebanon. We were talking about prayer. We were talking about praying for miracles and healings among Muslims and about how often God does not answer our prayers.

A few days later Jason wrote us all. “I think,” he said, “that while God is glorified when prayers are answered, He gets a different kind of glory when His servants pray and nothing happens, and pray again, and nothing happens, and look foolish and pray again and nothing happens, and pray yet again and nothing happens.”

When God’s servants trust Him so much, when they care so little about their reputation that they pray and pray and pray and pray again, and God elbows the devil in the ribs and says, “Hey, boy, Look at that! You have anybody like that? You have anybody that loves you and trusts you so much that unanswered prayer is a joy, that loss of face is gain. You got anyone like that devil? You have any one like that?”

May the Lord bless you by denying your petitions.

May the Lord bless you by saying “no” to your requests.

May the Lord bless you by imposing His will on yours, and may you find His will sweeter!

May you rise again and pray again and be denied again.

May you ask, seek, and knock and not find, and do it again and do it again. 

In your importunity may you gladden the heart of God. “Look at my servant Job,” He will cry. “Look at my daughter. Look at my son. Look how they love me. Look how they trust. Look how they embrace what I decree! You have anyone like that devil? You have anyone like that!”