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Other, Theological Reflections

The Unexpected Blessing of Unanswered Prayer

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Unanswered prayer is a razor-sharp instrument of sanctification that the Lord uses to slice open our idolatrous, covetous, unbelieving, and impatient hearts.

That has been my experience, anyway.

When the Lord does not grant us what we want or think we need, our sinful inclination is to desire what we are praying for more than we desire the will of God, which may or may not include the things we have prayed for. The things for which we have yearned for and cried for in prayer may even be good, but our idol-worshipping hearts have a way of turning good things into god-things (Rom. 1:25). A good thing can swiftly become a golden calf and we can easily become fixated upon what we want, allowing everything in our lives to revolve around it, thus, inhibiting contentment with the Lord and His will.

Of course, this is contrary to the kind of God-pleasing obedience which Jesus exemplified in the gloomy garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42). He prayed that the cup of God’s righteous indignation would pass from Him, if it were possible. For a brief moment, He prayed for a plan B. Nevertheless, He submitted to God’s sovereign plan of redemption, content with the Lord’s will, which was to “crush Him” (Isa. 53:10). Jesus desired the will of God more than what He prayed for.

Unanswered prayer can also reveal our unholy disposition to question God’s promises and provision, as if His word has failed because we have failed to receive what we have asked for in prayer. When the Lord denies our request(s), we can slip into unbelief and falsely suppose that God is going to give us a serpent or a stone, or worse, that He will withhold the bread and good gifts which He promises to give His children. Walking by sight instead of by faith, we can easily interpret a “No” from God as His displeasure or a failure to keep His word.

Unanswered prayer can also expose our impatience and unwillingness to wait upon the Lord. Perhaps He will give us what we are praying for, but today is not the day. Tomorrow may not be the day, either. Perhaps His denial or delay is because He has something much better in store. Only the Lord knows. But what is certain is that when we do not immediately receive what we are praying for, we have a tendency to grow frustrated and impatient.

To be certain, unanswered prayer can be painful, but it is often painful in the same way that open heart surgery is painful; the heart has to be lacerated and opened in order to get it working right. And the Lord has a way of using unanswered prayers to expose the evil of our hearts and show us that all we truly need is Him. Because of this, unanswered prayer can often be an unexpected blessing.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Soul Strength | Bible Gleanings – June 24-25, 2023

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The soul needs strength. The inner self is a battery that must be constantly recharged. The spirit within you is a lamp that requires electricity. The soul is an engine that only operates when it is fully fueled. The Bible calls this “strength,” and it is needed in ample supply to perform several crucial tasks: 

(1) You need strength to stand your ground against the devil. Paul commanded, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11). As a Christian, you are engaged daily in hand-to-hand combat with Satan and the powers of darkness. And defeat is sure for any believer who tries to deflect Satan’s fiery arrows with the shield of their own strength (cf. Jer. 17:5-9). Therefore, strengthen yourself in the might of the Almighty.

(2) You need strength to fulfill your mission. Joshua of old faced an impossible task: conquering the land of Canaan with an undersized army of Israelites. Because of this, the Lord repeatedly urged him to be strong: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Of course, plundering the land of Canaan is not the Christian’s task today; instead, the mission we have been given is plundering the house of Satan with the gospel sword to liberate captives (Matt. 12:28-29; cf. 28:16-20). And this great task of making disciples requires the strength of the only God who can save sinners.

(3) You need strength to bear the weight of adversity. The gargantuan weights of trials and tribulations will crush you if you are not resting on the right arm of God’s strength. The burdens they impose are too heavy for your shoulders to bear—so cast them on the Lord’s shoulders (Psalm 55:22). Seek strength in your suffering from the One who suffered the unbearable on your behalf. Paul realized that the Lord’s strength is sufficient, and that is why he confessed, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

How does the Lord strengthen you for these things? First, the Lord strengthens you through prayer, filling your heart with strength as you fill heaven with your fervent petitions (cf. Psalm 105:4; Eph. 3:16-17). Second, He strengthens you by His word, providing the nourishment your soul needs to be strong (cf. Psalm 119:103; 1 Peter 2:1; Heb. 5:12). Third, He strengthens you through ongoing fellowship with and encouragement from His people, just as Jonathan fortified David’s grip on the Lord (1 Sam. 23:16). “Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (1 Chron. 16:11).

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word: