Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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Unanswered prayer may be one of the most significant barriers to people’s faith. When we implore God faithfully to answer our prayer only to receive no answer, we struggle with doubt about whether God even exists or whether God cares about our needs. Or, we might blame ourselves, thinking we didn’t pray well enough or hard enough or that we don’t deserve the answer. Each of these responses impedes an intimate relationship with the God who loves us beyond our wildest imagination. So, how are we to understand unanswered prayer? Paul’s story from 2 Corinthians helps us understand at least what unanswered prayer is not. Right before the passage we read today, Paul tells of visions he has had while he is praying. Obviously, Paul knows how to pray effective prayers. He even heals people with his prayer. (For examples, see Acts 14:10, 16:18, and 20:9-10.) And, Paul has committed his whole life to spreading the Good News. He above all people should be considered worthy enough to have his prayers answered. Yet, God does not answer his prayer. So, it must not have to do with our ability to pray or our worthiness. Is God then powerless to answer our prayers? Again, Paul doesn’t seem to think so. Paul assumes that God has the power to take this thorn away. He also does not blame God for the thorn. In fact, Paul calls the thorn a messenger from Satan sent to torment him. He obviously would recall the story of Job, who was tested by Satan with God’s permission. So, God did not cause this painful thorn; it resulted from the evil of the fallen nature of this world. However, God uses this thorn for divine purposes. For Paul, it serves as a perspective keeper, preventing him from getting proud about his “spiritual accomplishments.” In other words, God co-opts the bad things in this world and uses them for good. Romans 8:28 reminds us of this: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to God’s purpose for them.” Paul believes that it is precisely through our weaknesses that God’s power and love shine through. So part of that divine purpose involves revealing God’s power to others and part of it involves teaching us how to depend on God’s grace for everything in our lives. Paul receives a two-fold assurance to his prayer (which we could also apply to all of our prayers as well): “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” God invites us to rely on that divine grace throughout all of our struggles, and through those experiences we discover that we can trust and depend on God. Isn’t this how Jesus lived? He trusted God in all things and allowed God’s power to shine through everything he did. In the Garden, Jesus experienced the same unanswered prayer for deliverance. Then, on the cross, he endured the same helplessness that we face in the midst of events that are beyond our control. However, through this weakness of death, the power of God’s resurrection came alive. Ultimately, then, prayer remains a mystery. Some prayers get answered while others don’t. We can only affirm the mysterious nature of prayer, as in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.” In the meantime, we live in the assurance that God hears our prayers and understands our pain, because Jesus lives it with us. Questions for Reflection 1-When in your life has God answered your prayers? How did that answer affect your relationship with God? When have you had unanswered prayer? How did that affect your relationship with God? Spend some time talking with God about these experiences or journal about them. 2-Do you believe that God causes bad things to happen or that Satan causes them or that they just happen because of a fallen world? How does your belief about these bad things impact your relationship with God? 3-How is God’s power made perfect in your weakness? How has God’s grace been sufficient for you? Do you experience the presence of Jesus who understands and has lived these things? 4-How did the Holy Spirit speak to you in worship today? |
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Key verse: 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My
grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to
boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”