Having known the Lord Jesus Christ for over half a century now, I can supply abundant examples of the truth that God answers prayer. The Lord Himself was crystal clear on this:
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14
It could not be clearer. And, He said it twice, “Whatever” and “anything,” blessed words, both.
But what are we to make of the common Christian experience of prayer for worthy things, for fruitful ministry, for unquestioned necessities that go unanswered? Surely you have experienced this as I have.
I am not talking about the self-serving requests we sometimes let slip from our lips in prayer, not the things we seek to consume on ourselves quite apart from God’s plan and purpose. I refer here to the things those in the Body of Christ around us would ratify as worthy and necessary. Still, sometimes these prayers go unanswered.
At times our loving Father knows that we ourselves are not ready for these answers. The result might be pride (more fruitful ministry), or temptation (more resources to use for Him), or any of a multitude of other reasons He can see. You would not give your small child a fine set of kitchen knives as useful as they may be. You wait until the child grows up, moves out, gets married, and then the gift is given.
So it is with some unanswered prayers. They can be a call to self-searching, to self-examination, to thoughtful and prayerful consideration our our state of growth in Christ. Is there something within me that precludes the abundant answer He wants to supply?