Every single one of us who has lost a child prayed that God would save our child. Whether your child died in utero or was born too prematurely to survive. Whether your child had a severe handicap or disease. Whether your child took his or her own life or had his or her life taken by someone else. Whether your child died in an accident or due to an overdose. No matter the age of your child, you prayed that he or she would be miraculously healed. Would live a healthy life, grow up, and outlive you.
But it didn’t happen.
Did God not hear our prayers? Did He ignore them? Matthew 21:22 (quoting Jesus) says “And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” So, what happened? Did I not believe hard enough?
God always hears our prayers. He not only does not ignore us; He knows our desires, needs, and requests before we even speak them. But God is not a vending machine. We can’t insert a prayer, say amen, and get the exact candy bar we selected.
So, was Matthew wrong? Not if we look at the bigger picture. If we look at the context of God’s will and eternal plan for us, we get a better understanding of what His plans are for us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us how to pray. One of the first things we are to understand and ask for is that God’s will (what God has planned for us and expects us to do) will be done “on Earth just as it is done in Heaven.”
That’s a big request. Because we don’t know exactly what God has planned and what is done in Heaven. We must have faith and trust that God’s plan is good, even if we don’t understand it. And even if we don’t see the complete fruition of that plan until we reach Heaven.
Like a child, my reaction to this is “I don’t want to wait. I want an answer right now and the answer needs to be ‘yes’.” But, if my parents had greater experience and knowledge that I did as a child, how much more does God have? He knows what is best for me and His “right now” has no earthly timeframe because He is eternal.
So, back to Matthew’s quote from Jesus. If God’s answer to our prayers might not be fulfilled until eternity, what exactly should we expect to receive in response to our prayers in the here and now?
Paul says in his letter to the church members in Philippi:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
We receive peace. Peace we may not understand. But peace that enables us to wait. Until there are truly and finally no unanswered prayers.
A Light for My Path 
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