When we don’t get our prayers answered

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

-2 Corinthians 12:7-9

What I want to focus on is Paul's testimony here of unanswered prayer.

When my prayers go unanswered I am tempted to think that there is something wrong with me. And I know there is nothing wrong with God. So I persist in praying for something, but I see no change.

This past year, when my mom was in the hospital and rehab I prayed for her every day, but she got worse and died.  Have you ever prayed to God, and didn't get the answer you were praying for?


Let’s look at verse eight: Where Paul said,

“Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.” -2 Cor. 12:8

Paul had a problem that he prayed to the Lord about.  But the Lord’s answer to his request for relief was “no.”

 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” -2 Cor. 12:9

A truth here that we learn from Paul is that persistence in prayer is the right action. Paul did not just accept the problem that came upon him, but took it to the Lord in prayer, asking for it’s removal.

Jesus taught that we should persist in prayer. For example, in Luke chapter 18, Jesus tells a parable about a persistent widow:

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
-Luke 18:1-8

Jesus says this about prayer:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
-Matthew 7:7-11

We might get the impression that Jesus teaches that we can have whatever we ask for, but actually he teaches us to pray for the will of the Father over anything we pray for. But, Jesus said this:

“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

“Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

‘Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.
-Mathew 6:7-10

Your will be done.

And from Jesus own life, when he was praying to the Father, in the garden of Gethsemane the night be was betrayed, he prayed:

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
-Luke 22:42

And Apostle John tells us in 1 John 5:14,

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

We need to understand that when we pray, for what we want, we also need to be praying for God’s will.

Paul persisted in prayer about what was happening to him and that was good because he was following how Jesus taught us to pray.

And despite his prayers for what he wanted, Paul accepted God’s will not to remove what he called the thorn in the flesh.

And then the Lord answered Paul’s prayers in a different way than he was expecting, saying, “My grace is sufficient for you” in verse nine. God did not remove or deliver Paul from the thorn, but gave him the grace to endure it.

Grace

And the simple definition of God’s grace is “unmerited favor”.

The Greek word for grace, "charis," conveys the idea of kindness and favor, often bestowed without regard to the worthiness of the recipient.

One scholar wrote that grace is, “God’s provision for our every need when we need it.” (Warren Weirsbe)

Let’s read Paul’s testimony again: 2 Cor. 12:8-9:

“Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

What is the lesson we should learn here?

1. When our prayers are not answered, God has higher purpose.
2. In our weakness, God’s strength is displayed.
3. That God’s grace is sufficient to get us through anything.
4. That we can grow spiritually through suffering.

Here are some questions left for us to ponder:

1. How does Paul’s testimony of asking the Lord over and over for something challenge us?
2. How does the idea of God’s strength being made perfect in our weakness change our perspective?

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Bibliography

Bible Hub, 2 Corinthians 12:8 Study

Bible Hub, 2 Corinthians 12:9 Study

Bible Hub, Topical Encyclopedia, Definition and Nature of Grace

Conflict & Community in Corinth, pp. 461-64, Ben Witherington III; 1995

NET Bible, Constable's Notes, 2 Corinthians 12

Hard Sayings of the Bible, p. 627, What is The Thorn in The Flesh?, F.F. Bruce; 1996

TNCBC I & II Corinthians, pp. 248-49, F.F. Bruce; 1971