Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Private Forum a question about prayer

Does it appear "yes" answers to prayer seem to be random?

How does a person discern "yes and "no" answers? How does one "test the spirits"? Without being in the WORD, and part of the BODY of CHRIST, how do we discern GOD's answers? They could appear to be random because we don't like or agree with the answers, or we could be deceived, believing the answer is GOD's Will, when it is not. Just random thoughts going thru my mind.

No.

2 Corinthians 1:18-20King James Version (KJV)

18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Tim_in_Nv,

Great to see your name. I have been thinking about you lately.

The way I look at answers to prayer is it is either "yes" or "no". I receive so many instant "yes" answers that when I don't get the "yes" then it is very simply a "no" at the time. Just as when my kids were little, I would say "no" to them and that's exactly what I meant. My wife and daughter are still diabetics and yet I have seen the Lord heal someone else who was a diabetic. He is the Only Sovereign.

If Jesus gives you a no answer to healing you will be the first he ever turned down. I'm not saying everyone who ever ask's always receives their healing. What I'm saying is that if they don't it's not because Jesus doesn't want to heal them.

You never see one instance of Jesus telling anyone no to healing in the New Testament.

It may not be obvious to you, but Jesus actually allows some Christians to die from disease.

Yes, a lot of good Christians die from disease. That has nothing to do with Jesus wanting them to die.

There is a difference between permissive will and perfect will.Jesus will permit anyone to go to Hell also but that doesn't mean he wants them to.

I always hear about Jesus healing through death but I know of no place in the Bible where Jesus or any apostle laid on hands for healing and the sick person promptly died.

Exactly!

Nor did Jesus ever tell anyone that they needed to keep their disease for any reason.

R_H_Clark,

You seem to be stuck in what you want the Scripture to say, rather than what It says.

Acts 20:27

"'For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.'"

Luke 5:31
"And Jesus answered and said to them, 'It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.'"

Do you not understand Jesus was not talking about illness here?

Spiritual healing is far more important than the physical healings are. Even Paul had a problem that he had to live with.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Scott F,



Okay. Sure.

Prayer has benefits, but obviously does not always bring healing.....for many reasons.

Prayer often can help the body heal itself.....whether by supernatural or natural means.......nobody knows for sure.

But ask any doctor if he'd refuse prayer for his patient.

Bigbuck215,



Thanks for supporting the idea that even a fantastic Christian gets a "no" answer some times.

Rich, I do not call myself a fantastic Christian. I can only say I try my best and I try to live my life in reflection of Christ's teaching. I also have physical problems, a back that has hurt every day, all day since 2001. Then there is the Meniere's and everything that goes along with it. If He chooses to heal me that is fine, If He chooses not then that is fine too. He is a lot smarter than I am and I am willing to except His decision.



I was sick, I was a sinner and not a follower of Christ. He came to me an made me spiritually well when I accepted Him into my heart. That healing is all that is important.

We don't need spiritual healing. We weren't spiritually sick, we were spiritually dead. Scripture is clear that spiritually, we are born again,not healed.

The scripture is also clear in the passage you posted. It says that Paul's thorn was a demon spirit sent to stir up trouble for him. Jesus told Paul that his grace was sufficient to the task and that his strength was made perfect in weakness.

Think about it like this. Jesus doesn't perform for us every time we need something and Jesus didn't cast away Paul's evil spirit.Jesus doesn't tell us that he will cast out spirits for us, He tells us to cast out spirits in his name,relying on the grace he has given us through his weakness on the cross.

What Jesus has done on the cross is to give us the grace and strength to overcome for ourselves. That power in us was made perfect through his weakness.

Then Paul goes on to say that he takes pleasure in challenges for when he is weak, he can rely on the power of Christ in him. For when he realizes his own weakness, then he is left relying on true strength, the power of Christ in him.

I didn't say we never get a "NO" answer in prayer. What I said is that the answer to healing is never "NO". Jesus provided for our healing just as surly as he provided for our salvation. Neither is the answer to salvation ever "NO".

I can pray for someone to be healed, and I can pray for someone to be saved. If that person doesn't get saved it's not because God said "NO". It's the same way with healing.

You are contradicting yourself. What do you tell your children when you tell them "no" and they ask, "Why did you say 'no'?" You lie to them and say, "I didn't say 'no' I said something else."

When I get a "no" from God I don't rationalize and tell myself "God didn't really say 'no'. I don't know what He said, but He didn't say 'no'." That is a position only a mentally ill person can stand on.