What to do when God says No

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Have you ever prayed and prayed for something and it didn’t happen? It’s a difficult test to overcome because we want to believe that God would say “yes” to our requests.

We know that God didn’t always say “yes” to people in the Bible: Moses asked God to go into the Promised Land, but he was denied. David asked God to not let his son die, but he died anyway. After being delivered from many demons, the man wanted to go with Jesus—but Jesus said “no”. Paul wanted to preach in a certain area, but the Spirit led them somewhere else. Paul also asked God to remove his thorn in the flesh, but God said “my grace is sufficient.” What are the five 5 principles of moving forward when God tells us “no”.

#1) Focus more intently on God’s goodness and purpose than what we are asking God for. “And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. (Luke 18:19) Resist the temptation of what our answered prayer more than we want God. Always dig deep into our motivations behind our prayers.

#2) Face the reality of a “no” answer. “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2)
Hearing “no” is a part of life and we must accept it at some point. However, knowing God loves us can help in moving forward.

#3) Find your place of contentment. “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Philippians 4:11) We can ask God to help us cope and guide us in the right direction. Finding contentment in every situation is possible through the Spirit.

#4) Forge ahead with what God has in front of you to accomplish. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) Even if we can’t have want we’ve asked of God—we can move forward with whatever He has next in our lives. There’s hope in the Lord.

#5) Finish the race well. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
One day we all will stand before God and give an account of our lives. In that day, we all want to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.”