When our prayers aren't answered in the way we want—generally speaking, when we receive a wait or a no answer—we
sometimes become discouraged, perhaps even resentful. What we fail to recognize is that wait and no answers are
tremendous teaching tools. Any serious student will admit that he or she has learned a lot from mistakes made on
an exam. Our failures in life are very often our greatest teachers. So, too, with God's wait and no answers. They
can reveal to us what actions we should take or how we should grow in our relationship with the Lord.
In this lesson we will focus on God's wait and no answers to see what they might tell us. Again, I am assuming
that you are in right relationship with God. The person who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior or who is in
willful rebellion against God is not a person who can expect yes answers from God. God's answer is likely to be
a repeated no until the person surrenders his or her life fully to Christ. Being a believer, however, and even
desiring to live in right relationship with God does not always ensure that we will have all of our prayers answered
with a yes. There are certain practical and specific reasons why God doesn't always say yes to Christians.
God's Wait Answer
God desires for us to want Him more than we want any person, position, or object. He wants us to trust Him explicitly
and fully. He wants us to be in a deep, personal, and intimate relationship with Him, totally relying upon Him
to meet our needs and guide us on a daily basis.
Sometimes God answers wait so that we will refocus totally upon God and not on the object of our desire.
God wants us to see Him as the source of our supply and know that a relationship with Him is far more valuable
than any answered prayer could ever be.
Sometimes God answers wait so that we might trust Him more fully. If God immediately said yes to all
of our prayers, we might soon think that His answers were based on our own righteousness, rather than upon His
mercy and grace. In giving us wait answers, God is building into us a stronger foundation of faith, one that will
endure all persecutions and trials.
Sometimes God answers wait so that our attitude will be adjusted and refined to more accurately reflect the
attitude of Christ Jesus. God may need for us to have a different attitude so that we will know how best to
use the blessing He is about to give us. At other times, we must mature in some way so that we can handle the blessing.
A young child may want a pocketknife, but a wise parent knows that a pocketknife is not an appropriate gift for
a young child. The parent waits until the child is older and can use the pocketknife properly without causing injury
to himself or others. Likewise, God may delay His answer to our prayer until we are better prepared to accept it.
Sometimes God answers wait because certain aspects of God's desire for us are yet to be put into place.
Another person or group of people may be involved in the blessing. God may need to work in their hearts before
He can give us what He desires us to have. He needs to remove the hindrances that keep His will from being enacted.
To “hinder” literally means to break up, or to place an obstacle in the road, so that our way is impeded. God may
need to do some “removal work” in the heart of another person before that person can share in our blessing.
Finally, God sometimes answers wait because He is preparing for an even greater blessing than the one for
which we asked. This certainly was true in the case of Lazarus. Jesus knew that Lazarus was ill, and He could
have gone to him to heal him before he died. Instead, Jesus waited until Lazarus had died so that He might raise
him from the dead as a definitive sign of His authority over death and the assurance of our resurrection in Christ.
(See John 11:1–45.)
• Have you ever experienced a wait answer from the Lord? Do you have an understanding as to why God gave
that answer?
What the Word Says
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no
other gods before Me.… For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. (Ex. 20:2–3, 5)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidences in man.
It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in princes. (Ps. 118:8–9)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
The loftiness of man shall be bowed down,
And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low;
The LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
But the idols He shall utterly abolish. (Isa. 2:17–18)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
You will keep him in prefect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever,
For the LORD Jehivah is everlasting strength. (Isa. 26:3–4)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him. (Isa. 64:4)
What the Word Says to Me
• How do you feel when God tells you to wait?
• What new insights do you have into the reasons for God's wait answers?
• In what ways are you being challenged in your prayer life?
God's No Answers
When we hear about someone receiving an answer of no from God, our first impulse may be to assume that there
is sin in that person's life. Likewise, when we are the ones receiving the no answer, we may assume that sin is
the cause, and we may try to argue that point with God or justify our position and request. The greater reality,
however, is that we probably are in error, not sin, and God is using a no answer to correct our error.
Sin is willful disobedience against what we know God desires. Sin, especially on the part of a believer in Jesus
Christ, is a matter of saying, “I know what God's commandments say, but I choose to do otherwise.” It is a deliberate
act of rebellion and defiance. We experience a breach in our relationship with God and the Holy Spirit moves to
convict us of our sin, usually with increasing intensity.
Error, in contrast, is an unknowing, inadvertent, unwillful disobedience. We do not know we are making an incorrect
choice or engaging in unrighteous behavior because we have not been taught that what we are doing is wrong in God's
eyes. We desire a relationship with God and will be quick to amend our ways once we realize our error … but at
present, we do not know that we are erring. God's no answer is a means of bringing us to the point where we recognize
our error so we can correct our behavior. Once we correct our behavior, God's answer to our same petition may very
well be yes.
There are at least six areas of error that evoke a no answer from God.
1. Relationships Are Not Right Before God
One reason God gives us an answer of no is that our relationships with other people are not right.
Our heavenly Father always forgives, is merciful, and desires the best for us. He will not answer our prayers
as long as we remain unforgiving, unmerciful, or self-centered and demanding of those He has given us as marriage
partners, family members, and friends. We cannot be caustic, sarcastic, cynical, mean-spirited, resentful, or selfish
to other people and then come to the Father and expect Him to answer all of our petitions. He has clearly said
that we must forgive if we are to be forgiven. We must be givers before we expect to receive. (See Luke 6:37–38.)
In 1 Peter 3:1–7, we find a balanced approach to the relationship that God desires for a husband and wife to
have. Peter says that if this relationship is not in right balance, our prayers are hindered. Your relationship
must be right with your spouse for God to answer your prayers, because in marriage, two people are made one and
are regarded as one flesh by God. God will not answer your prayer unless He is fully assured that His answer is
going to be a blessing that you are going to share fully with your spouse. Your request to God must be one that
honors and considers your spouse and is generous toward your spouse.
What the Word Says
Husbands, likewise, dwell with [your wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put in
your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:37–38)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matt. 6:14–15)
What the Word Says to Me
2. Motive Is for Self Alone
A second reason why God gives us answers of no is that our request is totally self-serving. The epistle of James
says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (4:3).
All of our actions as Christians are either aimed at self or God. Our motive is either to exalt ourselves or
to bring glory to God. In serving others, we bring glory to God, so we might say our actions are motivated either
by a desire to serve self or others.
God gives us a no answer so that we can confront our own motives. Why are we asking God for a certain thing
or situation? Is it so that we will look better, feel better, or get more praise from other people? Or is it so
we might help others better and be better able to fulfill the destiny that God has laid before us? God will not
answer our prayers unless He is certain that we will be good stewards of the things He gives to us and that we
will be generous to others.
Very specifically, God expects us to be generous to those who are in need. Many of God's blessings in the Bible
are reserved for those who take care of the poor, the widows, and the orphans. We must use what God gives us to
bring about justice and equity for those who are lacking the basic essentials of life.
What the Word Says
Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov. 16:18)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
He who loves pleasure will be a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not be rich. (Prov. 21:17)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures,
Who dwell securely,
Who say in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one else besides me.” …
Therefore evil shall come upon you;
You shall not know from where it arises.
And trouble shall fall upon you;
You will not be able to put it off. (Isa. 47:8, 11)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Whoever shuts his ears to the poor
Will also cry and not be heard. (Prov. 21:13)
What the Word Says to Me
3. Wavering Faith
Another reason why God says no to our prayers is because we are wishy-washy in our faith. God has little regard
for faith that wavers—a faith that says, “Maybe God will, maybe He won't.” Such faith is unstable and unreliable.
God sometimes gives us an answer of no so we will reevaluate our opinion of God and also come to grips with
our own emotions. Many people are driven by their emotions. One day they claim to feel God's presence and they
have joy and peace. The next day, when they are a little down or discouraged, they say they don't feel God's presence
and therefore God must not care about them. They become resentful and bitter toward God. God, however, hasn't changed.
Their emotional temperament is being tossed about like wind-driven waves.
Our relationship with God must be based squarely on what the Bible says God desires for us and has given to
us through Jesus Christ. We are not to base our relationship with God on how we feel on any given day. Feelings
come and go. God's Word remains. Our prayers must be grounded in the Word, not in ourselves.
What the Word Says
Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in
all his ways. (James 1:6–7)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.
For it is good that the heart be established by grace. (Heb. 13:8–9)
What the Word Says to Me
4. A Failure to Tithe
One of the most common yet unrecognized errors that can bring about a no answer from God is our failure to tithe.
God does not tolerate stinginess—whether toward Him or toward other people.
If God does not seem to be answering your request for things, money, or material goods, check your giving. It
may be God is seeking to teach you a new set of priorities in your handling of money. He may be attempting to give
you a new understanding of stewardship.
God will not violate the cycle of giving that He established for humankind: giving, receiving, giving, receiving.
His law is one that requires reciprocity.
What the Word Says
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now on this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the window of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.” (Mal. 3:10)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
All the tithe of the land … is the LORD's. It is holy to the LORD. (Lev. 27:30)
What the Word Says to Me
5. Indifference to God's Word
Sometimes God gives us an answer of no so that we will get serious about reading His Word and applying it to
our lives. You cannot live with a closed Bible and expect to have an open line to heaven.
The Bible is God's manual for right living. It contains His promises related to prayer and the meeting of our
needs. It holds God's commandments for how to receive and use God's blessings and defeat the enemy of our souls.
We cannot turn a deaf ear to God's Word and then approach God with our requests. That would be like a college student
telling his professors, “I don't need to attend classes or study any courses. Just give me a degree and I'll be
on my way.” Can you imagine the response that student would receive?
The Bible has both information and inspiration that you need for your daily walk with God. Avail yourself of
it. You'll gain important insights into how to pray so that you get yes answers from God.
What the Word Says
One who turns his ear away from hearing the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination. (Prov. 28:9)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. (Ps. 119:105)
What the Word Says to Me
6. Unconfessed Sins
God sometimes gives answers of no in response to our unconfessed sins. Just recognizing our errors and sins
is not enough. We must confess them to God and receive His forgiveness. It is not sufficient that we recognize
that our relationships are wrong, we have failed to tithe, we have wavering faith, we are selfish, or we are indifferent
to God's Word. We must actually confess these errors to God and then repent of them, which means to make a willful
decision to change. God cannot give us yes answers if we only recognize our errors but do not obey Him and change
our ways.
What the Word Says
Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity. (Isa. 59:1–3)
What the Word Says to Me
• Have you ever experienced a no answer from God? Do you have an understanding as to why God may have said
no to you?
God Desires to Say Yes
God's foremost desire is not to give us answers of wait or no, but to say “yes” to us. Deuteronomy 28 is an
important chapter for us to read and study. It tells us that God desires to bless us:
Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His
commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God.
(vv. 1–2)
God's desire is for blessing, but if His people turn to follow other gods and do not obey His Word, they will
find themselves in a position in which the “heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which
is under you shall be iron” (v. 23). In other words, the heavens will be closed to your prayers, and nothing we
attempt to do on earth will prosper. When we know what to do, we are responsible for doing it. Then, and only then,
can God trust us with His yes answers and His greatest blessings.
• How do you feel when God tells you no?
• What new insights do you have into why God gives us no answers?
• In what ways do you feel challenged in your prayer life?
From Talking With God: Discover New Insights to Help Deepen Your
Prayer Life by Charles Stanley. Copyright 1997 by Charles Stanley.
