The Titanic Answers To Prayer
Part Two
Human viewpoint is such that we tend to perceive “answered” prayer to be in view when things turn out the way we requested in prayer. In truth, all prayers immediately receive a yes, no, or not right now answer, but it may take some time before the answer arrives.
If what we request in prayer is not consistent with God’s will, the answer will be “No.” If what we request in prayer is not in line with God’s timing, the answer will be “Not right now.” If what we request in prayer is consistent with God’s will and timing, the answer will be “Yes.”. These “No,” “Not right now,’ and Yes answers will be made clear, simply by the way things ultimately turn out.
Waiting on the Lord for the results of our prayer requests teaches us patience, and affords us the opportunity to glorify God under what can be very difficult circumstances.
Advancing disciples glorify God by experiencing and exhibiting the peace that surpasses all human comprehension, having placed the matter, and the accompanying anxiety that we naturally feel, in God’s hands (1). We do so, knowing that He loves us (2), and that regardless of how things turn out, the outcome will be best for all involved who love Him (3).
Advancing disciples have learned that there are some things that prayer, in of itself, will not change. It takes great faith to maintain our intimacy, trust, and confidence in God in light of some of the “No” or “Not right now” answers that we receive.
Job, was a man that Scripture defines as, “blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil (Job 1: 1 NASB2020).”.
Job continually prayed for the well-being of his ten adult children, but lost them all in a single disastrous incident (4). He would also lose his own great wealth and his own good health, as well.
Job’s response?
“…The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1: 21 NASB2020).”
Job’s wife, perhaps embittered by the same loss of their adult children and wealth, brought only more misery to Job in the midst of his loss, pain, and physical suffering. She, apparently had been spared from suffering the painful illness that had only come upon Job.
Did she privately hold Job responsible for “her” loss?
Was she in agreement with Job’s judgmental visitors who implied that Job must have done something wrong to have been put through all that he (and she) had lost?
All we know for certain, is that the only recorded input by Job’s wife would have brought no comfort or godly advice to Job.
“Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold firm to your integrity? Curse God and die (Job 2: 9 NASB2020)!”
Job’s response?
“But he said to her, “You are speaking as one of the foolish women (weak believers) speaks. Shall we actually accept good (answers to our prayer requests) from God, and not accept adversity? . . . (Job 2: 10 NASB2020).”
. . .
God, in His omniscience, knew who it was that was going to survive and who it was that was going to perish before the Titanic even left the port and headed out for its transatlantic voyage.
Could He, in response to prayer, have intervened and avoided the disaster, or at least arranged for the rescue of those who were left behind on the sinking ship?
Yes, absolutely. But His answer was No. Their appointed time of departure had come.
Many of God’s foremost servants received some “No” answers to their prayer requests during their time here on Earth.
Jesus in His humanity, prayed, that, if possible, that the cup of God’s wrath that was about to be poured out on Him be avoided. King David prayed for the sparing of the life of his innocent infant son that was conceived during an act of his adultery. Moses prayed for the restoration of the privilege of leading the people into the Promised Land. Paul prayed for relief of a tormenting illness.
In each case, God’s answer was No.
God knows the exact place, date, time, and under what circumstances every soul that He creates, throughout the course of human history, would enter and depart this world, BEFORE any one of them (or us) takes his or her first breath.
Nothing has ever happened, is not happening now, or will ever happen without first passing through the sovereign hands of God. What He sends or allow to take place IS a reflection of His direct, permissive, or over-ruling will.
Accepting some of what His permissive will allows to take place can be a difficult hurdle to overcome along the road to spiritual maturity.
(1) Phil. 4: 6, 7 (2) 1Pet. 5: 7 (3) Rom.3: 28 (4) Job 1: 18