Sometimes God Says No by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
Over the past couple of weeks of quarantine, I’ve been praying for others who are suffering with COVID, maybe more than I’ve prayed for my husband and myself. My friend Linda sent 101 healing Scriptures to declare over myself, and when I pray these promises found in God’s Word, I also pray the verses over the names of those I know with COVID. Two days ago, I received the devastating news that one of those I was praying for, a friend’s husband, succumbed to the virus. Because he was clinging to life in ICU, I had been fervently interceding for him and believed with all my heart that no matter how bad it looked, God could heal his body. I was devastated when I heard the news that he passed away.
I was one of countless people praying for this godly man, so when an army of intercessors pray for someone—in this case healing—and it does not happen, we may wonder Do our prayers even make a difference? The answer is yes, God answers all prayers, but sometimes He says no.
I think of King David who pleaded with God for his first son with Bathsheba to live and not die. 2 Samuel 12 says David “fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them” (2 Samuel 12:16–17). This went on for seven days but when, on the 7th day of intercession, David found out his child had died, he cleaned himself up, changed his clothes and went to church and worshipped. He also stopped his fast. He was not angry with God, did not disconnect from Him nor did he stop praying. David’s the one who said in Psalm 86: 1-2, “Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you.” David never lost his faith. He still understood the power of prayer but in the case of the prayers for his son, the answer was no.
What I do believe is that God says yes more than He says no. The no’s just seem more magnified. I also don’t know why God heals some and not others. It’s a mystery that won’t be solved on this side of Heaven. But what I do understand is that we cannot stop praying and asking for a reversal of a dire situation. Our prayers can be the difference between life and death. In 2 Kings 20, King Hezekiah was told to put his affairs in order because he was going to die. It seemed final, but with tears, Hezekiah pleaded for more time. God heard his prayers, decided to heal the king and gave him an additional fifteen years. In that case, God said yes.
Maybe God has said no to you after you’ve prayed nonstop for a situation. I know it was difficult when the answer was not what you desired. But even when the answer is no, it doesn’t mean there will not be a yes in the near future.
#
I want to take this opportunity to invite you to our annual Level-Up Women’s Conference that will take place on Saturday, October 9th from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Northview Baptist Church in Lewisville. Speakers are KCBI”s Rebecca Carrell, Gateway Church’s Elizabeth Settle, Human Trafficking Survivor, Sandy Storm, newcomer, Alexis Arellano, and our entire Pearls of Promise Team. Worship Leaders are Debra Camp and Katherine Legg. God has been downloading so much material for you during my recent battle with COVID, you will not want to miss what He has to say to you. Take advantage of the Early Bird Special! Tickets are now only $39 and that includes lunch. They are available on Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/level-up-dallas-2021-tickets-141072470557?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Join us for this incredible time of spiritual refreshing!