Gratitude for Unanswered Prayers

“’What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’” Matthew 20:21-22

Meet Salome, mother of the disciples, James and John. As Jesus’ popularity grew so did the commitment of Salome’s family. She went around with Jesus and attended to the needs of Him and the disciples. Like any other mother wanting good for her children, she approached Jesus with the request above. She had no idea of what she was asking, not understanding that the Kingdom was in Heaven and not on earth. To be granted her desire would mean to lose her sons to death.

Years ago, when I had gotten us into a messy financial situation, the company for which Bruce worked was being considered for a job in Australia. The employees of the chosen company would receive a large sum of money upon their acceptance of the assignment. At the time, I was responsible for our bills (I know, right?) and knew that with that sum of money I would be able to pay off a lot of the bills for which I had secretly mounted. I remember praying for him to get the job obviously for all of the wrong reasons. A company other than his won the bid for the job and my hope failed for a secret resolution. One year after that unanswered prayer the company that won the job was laid off and everyone was out of work. God knew the suffering that would have been ours had He granted my prayers.

A few years later, God awakened me with such a burden on my heart to reveal to Bruce our financial situation that I could hardly breathe. I remember asking Him to come up with another solution, one where I didn’t have to reveal this truth. God would not budge and it was clear to me I had to do His will and lay down my own. God was faithful in restoring trust on my husband’s part and getting us out of the financial mess for which I had created. (He does the bills now!)

Many times we pray for things that would ultimately land us worse off than where we are in our circumstances. Only God can see the future and know the direction of our lives. As soon as Salome realized for what she was praying her vision became focused on the reality of what they were going to experience. Her prayers changed from her will to His will.

When God does not answer our prayers instead of asking Him why or why not we should simply say “Thank you, Father for not answering that prayer. I trust that it was not your will and would not have been best for me.”