Unanswered Prayer and A Hidden God

Sometimes, from our point of view in our prayers, God seems to hide Himself when He does not give to us what we request of Him. We ask the Lord for this or that, but we do not receive it. We may ask again and again, but what we request is not given.

From our point of view, therefore, it seems as if God is hidden. It is as if He does not hear what we say. We cannot find Him. Heaven is silent. No one is paying any attention.

The reason we are not granted our requests may very well be that we ask something contrary to God's will. Then it ought not to surprise us that God does not give us our request. The solution to the problem is, quite obviously, learn to pray, in every request that you make, "Thy will be done." James puts it succinctly: "For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that" (4:15).

But sometimes we are convinced that we are praying according to the will of God. Perhaps we justify our petition with a line of reasoning similar to this: "I have been given certain responsibilities of God in His kingdom and covenant. Now the Lord has sent me an affliction that makes it impossible for me to carry out my responsibilities. And so, because it is His will that I carry out my responsibilities, it is also His will that I be delivered from this affliction."

I am sure the apostle Paul reasoned much the same way when he prayed that God would remove the thorn from his flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-9). He was sure that he could not possibly perform his work as missionary to the Gentiles unless the Lord would remove the thorn. And so he prayed-- three times no less! Heaven was silent. God apparently did not hear him in his anxious request. God said nothing-- neither yes nor no. Where was God? Could He not hear?

Yet even this prayer was not in harmony with the will of God, and Paul's careful reasoning could not make it such. How often does not this happen with us! We mistake, once again, our own desires for God's will, although it may very well be that, as in the case of Paul, we sell the grace of God short. God's grace is able to do beyond what we ask or think, but we are sometimes, in our weak faith, doubtful whether this is really true.

God, in effect, told Paul the following: (1) Get busy with the work to which you were called; (2) Quit praying about that thorn, for I am not going to take it away; (3) When it comes down to it, I really cannot use you unless you continue to have that thorn. The only way you can do your work, quite contrary to what you think, is if that thorn remains; (4) the reason is twofold. My grace is sufficient for you to do the work, and do not sell my grace short. Also my strength is made perfect in weakness. That is, only when you, Paul, are as weak as it is possible to be and the work is still done, will it become apparent that I did it all, and not you. And that is the way it ought to be.

Prof. Herman Hanko 

When You Pray, pp. 147-148

https://rfpa.org/collections/books-by-herman-hanko/products/when-you-pray 

Living with Unanswered Prayer

12 MAY

At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Daniel 9:23

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Matthew 6:5-15

Our vows and prayers cannot possibly gain us favor with God unless we are already embraced by Him; for in no other way do we find God's favor unless we first flee by faith to His loving kindness. Then, in reliance upon Christ as our Mediator and Advocate. we may dare to approach Him as a child to a parent. For these reasons our prayers are of no avail before God unless they are in some degree founded in faith, which alone reconciles us to God. We cannot be pleasing to Him without the pardon and remission of sins.

We observe also how the saints pleased God by enduring the failure to obtain their requests. Daniel endured trials for many years and was afflicted by much grief, yet he did not consider himself worthy of receiving anything by that labor. He might ave concluded that all his work was vain, for he prayed and perseveringly without effect. But the angel now meets Daniel and frankly testifies that Daniel has found acceptance with God. He is to understand that he has not suffered any repulse, even though he has failed to obtain the object of his earnest desires.

Likewise, we may become anxious in our thoughts and inclined to despair when there appears to be no profit or fruit of prayers, and we receive no open and immediate answer. We must then consider this instruction from the angel that even Daniel, who was most acceptable to God, was heard at length, even though he was not permitted to see with his eyes the object he wishes. Daniel died in exile and did not see the fulfillment of the prophet's prophecies concerning the happy state of the church.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: 

"Unanswered prayer" can be a tremendous burden. But it is not an indication that we are not accepted by God. Rather, we should persevere in prayer, knowing that if we are accepted with God, our prayers are heard even though we have not seen an answer yet.

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke