Unanswered Prayer (2003)

by McCUBBIN, W. | Category: Old Testament Insights Into Prayer | Oct 2003

The Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples about prayer on several occasions. He outlined how our prayers ought to be constructed and presented to His Father. He spoke about agreeing with one another in relation to our prayer burden, about asking in His name and also about praying in faith. Then He made a statement which has raised the expectations of disciples in every age: '"Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive"' (Mat.21:22).

That phrase you will receive seems at first glance to be a statement of absolute fact, yet all believers in every age have had the experience of earnest prayers being offered in faith and with the very best of motives - and yet appearing to be unanswered. We are left with the question, "Why should this happen?"

It may be worth considering the comprehensive phrase 'whatever things you ask'. This cannot include a great deal that might not be for our good, and in fact that might harm us either physically or spiritually. The only One who can make an accurate judgement on these things is our Father, God.

This is partly due to the fact that when we pray, we pray from a position of very limited knowledge about the situation in which we are involved, and in addition, we pray from sinful hearts. Our prayers are personal, summarizing what we personally want and are motivated by our own feelings and desires. From God's perspective, our prayers must sometimes seem quite petty and unfocused. They may even, at times, be in conflict with His divine purposes for us. The phrase has been used of God that 'He is too wise to err, too good to be unkind'. This puts the problem of (seemingly) unanswered prayer into perspective, and we recall that it is said of him:

'� As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the LORD is proven' (Psalm 18:30).

So that when God fails to answer our prayers in the way we want, it is wholly from a stance of knowing what is for our good, and because of His unfailing love for us, working to bring about our greatest blessing.

The problem of 'unanswered prayer' is one that became evident early in the history of mankind and we have several examples given in the Bible for our instruction. For instance, King David records several times over in the Psalms, his feeling that God was not responding in the exact way that he felt He ought. David uses the phrase several times over in various psalms, O LORD - how long? This phrase gives an interesting insight into his thinking in that he is focusing on the time it will take for God's purposes to match his premature desires. This prayer does not suggest lack of faith, quite the contrary, for in one psalm where he used this phrase (Psalm 6) he qualified it with a strong declaration of faith:

'The LORD has heard my supplication;

The LORD will receive my prayer.'

At that point, David evidently had to learn that not only is God's way perfect, but so is His timing.

In Psalm 38 he acknowledges that there is good reason for God to ignore him and to refuse to hear his prayer. He confesses his sins before God, and the history of his life recorded elsewhere in Scripture demonstrates that there were times when this was highly appropriate. He says,

'My iniquities have gone over my head;

Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.'

Yet even in this low spiritual state, he seizes on a fact of which he is totally convinced and says,

'In You, O LORD, I hope;

You will hear, O Lord my God.'

When that is grasped, doubt and fear are instantly removed, and the way is opened up for him to cry to God for deliverance and help in verses 21 and 22 where he cries out to God,

'Do not forsake me, O LORD;

O my God, be not far from me!

Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

This experience in turn leads David into a broader experience and understanding of God, and he arrives at a state of heart which allows him to pray,

Teach me to do Your will,

For You are my God;

Your Spirit is good.

Lead me in the land of uprightness' (Ps.143:10).

David encapsulated here the essence of understanding the problem of seemingly unanswered prayer, which lies in being taught by God the secret of His perfect will and led by God into complete submission to it. This is a lesson those who pray have to learn right to the present day.

In Psalm 88 we have the Song of Heman the Ezrahite. Possibly he was the Heman who was noted for his wisdom (1 Kin.4:31) or Heman who was engaged in the service of the house of God (1 Chron.6:48). They may even have been the same man. He found himself going through an experience of unparalleled bitterness. He was surrounded with death, weakness, troubles, affliction, the wrath of God, loneliness, and mourning. Few can have suffered in the way he did. He felt forgotten and abandoned. However, there is an important 'but' contained in the middle of the Psalm, for he says,

'But to You I have cried out, O LORD,

And in the morning my prayer comes before You' (Ps.88:13).

This has actually been in his mind from the start, for he introduces his lament with the words,

'O LORD, God of my salvation,

I have cried out day and night before You'.

Those who know God as saviour, know him as guardian and guide.

Perhaps the reason for unanswered prayer is that God is waiting for us to have this experience with Him and to pray with this degree of earnestness.

Others, too, went through similar experiences. In Psalm 42 and Psalm 43, where we have songs of the Sons of Korah recorded, the writer finds himself going through an experience which, some might say, is the worst that can happen to a believer. It is the feeling of abandonment by God. The Bible reassures, of course, with promises like, "I will never leave you nor forsake you", and faith lays hold on that. However, the evil one and his henchmen are at hand to point out that indeed - 'they continually say to me, "Where is your God?" (Psalm 42:3), and again - they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"' (Psalm 42:10). In addition, the writer himself calls out to God saying - 'I will say to God my Rock, "Why have You forgotten me?"' (Psalm 42:9).

There is, however, one benefit in this situation, and it might be supposed that it is part of God's purpose in allowing it to happen. Often our prayers are formal and repetitive. Not so here. This man speaks of tears, and of his soul thirsting for God. He speaks of his soul being cast down and disquieted - in great commotion - in him. Then he does what we all have to do from time to time, and he pours out his soul to God in earnest (Psalm 42:4). He is enabled to do this, because he knows deep within his being what his God is like, and he uses language such as lovingkindness (42:8) and strength (43:2). He associates values such as light and truth and holiness and joy with this same God (43:3,4). He remembers that 'the living God (42:2) is the God of my life' (42:8). Thoughts such as these cause him to cry out,

'Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God' (Ps.42:11).

In Psalm 123 - one of the Songs of Ascents - there is a little key word that has already been alluded to. It is found in verse 2 and is the word until. What goes before and what follows hinges on that word. Until God exercises his mercy, the writer of this Psalm is content to look to Him and to wait for Him. That is both right and appropriate, for as the first verse indicates, this is the God who dwell[s] in the heavens. All power and authority are vested in Him. The believer, conscious of the danger of the pathway and of his own sinful nature still looks to God for help and his watchwords are found in verse 2. They are 'wait - until' (KJV). These might be adopted by us today in the light of the soon returning Lord Jesus Christ.

McCUBBIN, W. | Oct 2003
Old Testament Insights Into Prayer