When we pray, we always expect God to say “yes.” But what happens when God says “no?”

I was reading II Corinthians 12:7-8 and Apostle Paul was wrestling with something that he needed from the Lord. “And for this thing, I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.” And He (the Lord), “said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee.” God was saying, “no.”

Don’t we all hate the word, “no,” especially children or teenagers?  And since we, the parents, don’t want any discussion, we are tempted to say “yes,” when we know that “no,” is the answer.

Years ago, we lived in a trailer park in Rockledge, Florida. Our two children Jonathan, and Julie were small, but they had friends “all over the place,” and they loved growing up in the trailer park. One day, Jonathan (maybe nine or ten), asked us if he could go “skeet shooting” with two other friends in the trailer park. He begged, but in my spirit, I knew that the answer was “no.” Jonathan went away sad, but “no,” meant “no.”

Just a short time passed, when we heard crying and frantic knocks at our door. The other two boys had gone “skeet shooting” with another boy. One of them threw the plate into the air, while the other boy followed it down with his rifle, and shot! He killed the third boy, “Red.” Both our children will never forget that incident, especially our son.

Sometimes, the Lord says “no,” because He wants to humble us. Sometimes, He says “no,” because He knows there is danger ahead… and sometimes, it is “no,” because He has a better plan. When He says, “no,” it means, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” And we need to pray, “not my will, but Thy will, be done.”

Have a blessed day and remember that “all things work together for good, to those who love the Lord.” Sherry