Topic: Why Didn’t I Get What I Asked God For? [RICK WARREN Devotional 2 August 2024]
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Why Didn’t I Get What I Asked God For?
BY RICK WARREN — AUGUST 2, 2024
FROM YOU MAKE ME CRAZY
“We are sure that [God] hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will.”
1 John 5:14 (GNT)
Do you ever wonder if prayer really works? Maybe you’re praying about something and Satan whispers to you, “This is a waste of time. Forget it! Who do you think you are? God is not listening.”
Prayer works because God is in control. The basis of all miracles is God’s sovereignty. Why does he allow one request and not another? Because God is in control. We can trust his wisdom and his goodness.
Ephesians 3:20 says, “God . . . is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (TLB).
Prayer can do whatever God can do. His resources are available to you. It’s encouraging to know that things out of your control are not out of God’s. You may not be able to change a situation, but you can pray, and God can change it.
I know what you might be thinking right now: “If I can pray and ask God to change things, and if God is really in control of everything, then why don’t I get everything I ask for?” Good question.
Here are three reasons:
God is not a genie. You don’t just put in a prayer and get whatever you want. Do you give your children everything they ask for? I hope not. You can see the bigger picture for your kids and make decisions accordingly. Think about how much bigger the picture is that God can see!
Sometimes Christians pray in conflict. I’ll give a silly example, but if two Christians are praying during the Super Bowl for different teams to win, who is God going to answer? If God were concerned about the outcome of a football game, he still wouldn’t let both teams win.
But I think the real reason is this:
God knows what’s best, and you don’t. The Bible tells us, “We are sure that [God] hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will” (1 John 5:14 GNT).
The attitude of your prayer needs to be: “Lord, this is my prayer request, but your will be done.” That’s what Jesus prayed in Luke 22:42: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (NIV).
Keep on praying, even when it doesn’t turn out like you planned. Remember, God knows what’s best.
Talk It Over
- Why is it important that God is both good and sovereign?
- In what ways do your prayers reflect what you believe about God’s sovereignty?
- How can you show God that you desire and trust his will and not your own?
Will you follow Jesus today?
God proved his goodness through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 CSB).
Are you ready to trust God to fulfill his promise of eternal life through Jesus? If so, start with this simple prayer: “Dear God, I confess I’ve lived life my own way and sinned against you. I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son, that he died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
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