Have you ever been able to guess/figure out why God said NO to a prayer?

[Anonymous]

I know they say that God answers prayers, it's just that sometimes the answer is no -- and sometimes that no is because there's a better path or to spare you from pain etc.

Did you ever have an instance when you figured out why the answer was no? I don't mean life/death/health things bc those are tough. But like you prayed to get a certain job or promotion or to meet someone and getting married or whatever and it didn't happen. Anyone have a story of something that didn't happen and then later they figured out the reason why?

I'm just thinking of a dumb example. I've had a REALLY rough time lately (unemployment) and was in town for an interview last week, where I wanted to connect with a friend and former colleague I REALLY look up to, who always makes me feel better, etc. We were supposed to be able to connect and then at the last minute, I got an email from her that work went nuts and she had to go to a meeting and wasn't sure if it would end in time. I actually found myself saying a silent prayer asking God to let us get together that day -- that's how much I needed and wanted to talk to her. It still didn't happen. Why would the answer to something like that be no? It seems like such a small request in the grand scheme.

[Anonymous]

I'm not meaning this response to be mean, but maybe because God's world doesn't revolve around you and your 'no' may allow someone else to receive a 'yes'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not meaning this response to be mean, but maybe because God's world doesn't revolve around you and your 'no' may allow someone else to receive a 'yes'.

Sorry, me again. I was trying to get that wording correct and hit submit before I got to say that I hope things do brighten up for you and you get to see the type of 'yeses' that you need to help ease your difficult time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know they say that God answers prayers, it's just that sometimes the answer is no -- and sometimes that no is because there's a better path or to spare you from pain etc.

Did you ever have an instance when you figured out why the answer was no? I don't mean life/death/health things bc those are tough. But like you prayed to get a certain job or promotion or to meet someone and getting married or whatever and it didn't happen. Anyone have a story of something that didn't happen and then later they figured out the reason why?

I'm just thinking of a dumb example. I've had a REALLY rough time lately (unemployment) and was in town for an interview last week, where I wanted to connect with a friend and former colleague I REALLY look up to, who always makes me feel better, etc. We were supposed to be able to connect and then at the last minute, I got an email from her that work went nuts and she had to go to a meeting and wasn't sure if it would end in time. I actually found myself saying a silent prayer asking God to let us get together that day -- that's how much I needed and wanted to talk to her. It still didn't happen. Why would the answer to something like that be no? It seems like such a small request in the grand scheme.

OP, not to diminish your question or sideline this discussion, but I will comment about the example you gave, because I think it does demonstrate how many people view prayer. And please understand, I am not claiming to be a biblical or religious scholar, nor am I trying to say that your prayer to meet this person was in any way wrong.

But I think your response to the fact that she couldn't get together at the last minute is a little misplaced.

Prayer is not akin to us asking our parents, or Santa Claus, or our boss, or anyone else for "things," or to fix a situation. God is not orchestrating your friend's schedule. It's not like you said your prayer, and then God said "oh, Larla wants to meet with Ann; I'd better get on that. Oops, I just answered Ann's prayer to help her business improve and now she's going to have to stay late to meet with clients, so Larla is out of luck." Your friend couldn't meet with you because her priorities/ obligations that day did not coincide with your availability. Or, maybe she's still annoyed about the time in 2003 that you snubbed her, and she didn't want to meet with you. It could be any number of things, but I assure you it was not because God said, "No way they are getting together."

I encourage you to continue your prayer life and to take the risk of deepening it. And instead of trying to micromanage your life through prayer -- something we all do from time to time -- ask God to show you HIs way, and to help you to better trust Him through this difficult time in your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not meaning this response to be mean, but maybe because God's world doesn't revolve around you and your 'no' may allow someone else to receive a 'yes'.

Is that the way it works with God? He only has so many yeses to hand out so the rest have to be no's?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not meaning this response to be mean, but maybe because God's world doesn't revolve around you and your 'no' may allow someone else to receive a 'yes'.

Is that the way it works with God? He only has so many yeses to hand out so the rest have to be no's?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know they say that God answers prayers, it's just that sometimes the answer is no -- and sometimes that no is because there's a better path or to spare you from pain etc.

Did you ever have an instance when you figured out why the answer was no? I don't mean life/death/health things bc those are tough. But like you prayed to get a certain job or promotion or to meet someone and getting married or whatever and it didn't happen. Anyone have a story of something that didn't happen and then later they figured out the reason why?

I'm just thinking of a dumb example. I've had a REALLY rough time lately (unemployment) and was in town for an interview last week, where I wanted to connect with a friend and former colleague I REALLY look up to, who always makes me feel better, etc. We were supposed to be able to connect and then at the last minute, I got an email from her that work went nuts and she had to go to a meeting and wasn't sure if it would end in time. I actually found myself saying a silent prayer asking God to let us get together that day -- that's how much I needed and wanted to talk to her. It still didn't happen. Why would the answer to something like that be no? It seems like such a small request in the grand scheme.

OP, not to diminish your question or sideline this discussion, but I will comment about the example you gave, because I think it does demonstrate how many people view prayer. And please understand, I am not claiming to be a biblical or religious scholar, nor am I trying to say that your prayer to meet this person was in any way wrong.

But I think your response to the fact that she couldn't get together at the last minute is a little misplaced.

Prayer is not akin to us asking our parents, or Santa Claus, or our boss, or anyone else for "things," or to fix a situation. God is not orchestrating your friend's schedule. It's not like you said your prayer, and then God said "oh, Larla wants to meet with Ann; I'd better get on that. Oops, I just answered Ann's prayer to help her business improve and now she's going to have to stay late to meet with clients, so Larla is out of luck." Your friend couldn't meet with you because her priorities/ obligations that day did not coincide with your availability. Or, maybe she's still annoyed about the time in 2003 that you snubbed her, and she didn't want to meet with you. It could be any number of things, but I assure you it was not because God said, "No way they are getting together."

I encourage you to continue your prayer life and to take the risk of deepening it. And instead of trying to micromanage your life through prayer -- something we all do from time to time -- ask God to show you HIs way, and to help you to better trust Him through this difficult time in your life.

How did you figure out so much about how God responds to prayer? IS there someplace OP or others can find out more about this? Is it in the BIble somewhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not meaning this response to be mean, but maybe because God's world doesn't revolve around you and your 'no' may allow someone else to receive a 'yes'.

Is that the way it works with God? He only has so many yeses to hand out so the rest have to be no's?

Not the pp - but I think you are viewing this statement very simplistically. Sometimes, a no for one person results in a yes to another BECAUSE of the no to the first person.

Take the first example given and one of the posters response to it. A “no” to the person wanting to meet might have been because it was a “yes” to the person at work - perhaps this person at work received extra compensation, either through a raise, a promotion, or something because of it. I am not saying this is WHY this situation happened as it did - just an example.

[Anonymous]

I believe that the purpose of life is for us to learn and grow. Sometimes a no happens because we will learn more from a no than a yes. When I graduated college, I had a part time gig not in my field and was literally living off of $500 a month (fortunately did not have to pay rent or would have been homeless). I went on tons of interviews and either never got the job or felt strongly that I should say no (that one was really hard). It took me 9 months to find something. Trust me, there were a lot of prayers. When I finally did find a job, it was a just okay fit. I stayed for one year, but was very unhappy there and began looking 10 months in for something different.

I literally interviewed for only one job. I landed it and moved across the country and it made my career. All subsequent success had been tied to that job. The thing is that if I had found a different job when I was first looking,
1) I wouldn't have been available when dream job opened up.
2) I wouldn't have worked at my crappy first job, which happened to give me the exact right experience for dream job, and
3) I wouldn't have been on enough interviews to know right away that dream job was perfect and might have passed on it.

That difficult time sucked in the moment, but taught me a great deal personally and professionally.

So when you get a "no." The answer isn't to ask "why;" it is to look inward: "what do I need to learn?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not meaning this response to be mean, but maybe because God's world doesn't revolve around you and your 'no' may allow someone else to receive a 'yes'.

Is that the way it works with God? He only has so many yeses to hand out so the rest have to be no's?

Not the pp - but I think you are viewing this statement very simplistically. Sometimes, a no for one person results in a yes to another BECAUSE of the no to the first person.

Take the first example given and one of the posters response to it. A “no” to the person wanting to meet might have been because it was a “yes” to the person at work - perhaps this person at work received extra compensation, either through a raise, a promotion, or something because of it. I am not saying this is WHY this situation happened as it did - just an example.

So, God is up there answering prayers and decides which prayer is more worthy and answers that one, instead of one that cancels it out or wouldn't be possible if the first one is answered.

How do you know that?

[Anonymous]

I can say I have had an occasion where God did not answer a prayer quite like I was hoping. I wouldn’t say he said, “No,” but that he took me and my family down a totally different path - one that I did not know was open to us. Had he said “yes” to my very desperate prayer, we would be in a very different place, and things may not have turned out to be so happy for us. So, while I don’t see him saying “yes” or “no,” I view it much more as answering in a way that we have not considered or don’t even envision.

[Anonymous]

Prayers to God don't work that way. I'll bet that lots of people get more no's than yeses.

Some people don't know how to pray. Some people ask for too much. Some people ask for what they want instead of what they need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe that the purpose of life is for us to learn and grow. Sometimes a no happens because we will learn more from a no than a yes. When I graduated college, I had a part time gig not in my field and was literally living off of $500 a month (fortunately did not have to pay rent or would have been homeless). I went on tons of interviews and either never got the job or felt strongly that I should say no (that one was really hard). It took me 9 months to find something. Trust me, there were a lot of prayers. When I finally did find a job, it was a just okay fit. I stayed for one year, but was very unhappy there and began looking 10 months in for something different.

I literally interviewed for only one job. I landed it and moved across the country and it made my career. All subsequent success had been tied to that job. The thing is that if I had found a different job when I was first looking,
1) I wouldn't have been available when dream job opened up.
2) I wouldn't have worked at my crappy first job, which happened to give me the exact right experience for dream job, and
3) I wouldn't have been on enough interviews to know right away that dream job was perfect and might have passed on it.

That difficult time sucked in the moment, but taught me a great deal personally and professionally.

So when you get a "no." The answer isn't to ask "why;" it is to look inward: "what do I need to learn?"

Are you suggesting that God set this whole thing up. It seems quite complex and very centered on you and your career.

[Anonymous]

Maybe because He wants to draw you in for closer relationship with Him, and not another person. Maybe the other person would've given you the wrong answer you needed and taken you off of your path.

Just like a child asking a parent for something and being denied without understanding why, sometimes this happens to us, but I believe it is always in our best interest. That is a big part of faith though.

And yes, I have experienced - my DH was unemployed for a year and we prayed for job after job that would seem perfect. Most required him to travel. He got none. Then I found out I was pregnant and on strict bed rest the entire time. It was meant for him to be there with me - to help, to assist when no one else was there. We never missed a meal, or payment, everything was always provided for somehow. The job my DH got was the one that allowed him to be promoted past any of the others that he wold have taken, and also kept him closer to home, with less travel and more support for a newborn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe that the purpose of life is for us to learn and grow. Sometimes a no happens because we will learn more from a no than a yes. When I graduated college, I had a part time gig not in my field and was literally living off of $500 a month (fortunately did not have to pay rent or would have been homeless). I went on tons of interviews and either never got the job or felt strongly that I should say no (that one was really hard). It took me 9 months to find something. Trust me, there were a lot of prayers. When I finally did find a job, it was a just okay fit. I stayed for one year, but was very unhappy there and began looking 10 months in for something different.

I literally interviewed for only one job. I landed it and moved across the country and it made my career. All subsequent success had been tied to that job. The thing is that if I had found a different job when I was first looking,
1) I wouldn't have been available when dream job opened up.
2) I wouldn't have worked at my crappy first job, which happened to give me the exact right experience for dream job, and
3) I wouldn't have been on enough interviews to know right away that dream job was perfect and might have passed on it.

That difficult time sucked in the moment, but taught me a great deal personally and professionally.

So when you get a "no." The answer isn't to ask "why;" it is to look inward: "what do I need to learn?"

Are you suggesting that God set this whole thing up. It seems quite complex and very centered on you and your career.

i believe that God put me in situations that helped me to learn and grow. As stated, I believe our entire existence on this planet is because a loving God wants us to learn and grow. You are free to disagree with my belief.