Unanswered Prayers

“The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Isaiah 51:11

What about prayers that God might not answer the way we want? Or even unanswered prayers? Don’t some prayers put our faith at risk? If anyone could have prayed someone through a disease by sheer will power alone, it was definitely my dad. He prayed so earnestly for my mom to be healed from ALS that he finally had to record all his daily prayers when he became hoarse and exhausted. One day near the end of her disease, my mom looked up at him and said gently, “He’s answered, ‘No.’” Did He? Was His answer really “no”? I thought so at the time, but looking back, I believe it was more like, “I can do better than that, my child. Come to the eternal feast, where you will dance and delight in My presence forever.” Prayers for healing were answered, just not in the way we wanted. But He didn’t leave the rest of us empty-handed. He gave us His constant presence, His strength, and His peace. He showed us His glory through supernatural miracles and gave us a testimony that we can share with generations to come. One of His best gifts was letting us hear my mom sing at the very end of her earthly life. She entered Zion “with singing”, filled with “gladness and joy”. Even the tune the Lord gave her was a hymn for Isaiah 51, reminding the rest of us that for those who are in Christ, death is not the final answer but a new beginning. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we can always have hope. We can trust one hundred percent that God’s answer will be for our good and for His glory.

Father God, I know that You are able to heal all diseases. There is nothing You can’t do, and You delight in giving good gifts to Your children. Heal me, Lord, from this affliction. Restore me to physical health so that I can tell of Your goodness and mercy for generations to come. But if You have something better in store for me, Lord, I submit to Your perfect will. I surrender my will to Yours, because I trust that You will take care of me and those I love. Your plan is so much greater than mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.