Read: Mark 14:32-36 ESV
“And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And He said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.’ And going a little further, He fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.’” (Mark 14:32-36 ESV)
This passage talked about what happened in the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus, being fully God and fully man, felt greatly distressed and troubled about facing God’s wrath (the cup) that we had to face in the first place because of our sins. Jesus had to take our broken nature as sinners. As a result, Jesus (the Son), who’s never been separated from God (the Father) in the Holy Trinity, had to be taken away. It’s a sinister night for Jesus Christ since if He would take up man’s sinful nature, He would be separated from the holy and righteous God, His Father. God the Father had to turn His back away from Him. Because of the great sorrow that He was feeling, He ended up crying out to God, His Father, praying to take the cup away from Him, and yet saying “Yet but what I will, but what You will.”
We Christians are very accustomed to the act of running to God to pray for our concerns. When a loved one is sick. When we are in trouble. When we need financial provisions When we need spiritual breakthroughs. It’s indeed the right thing to do, and that is what God always wants or us to do every time we need help.
In the Bible’s story about Jesus, we saw Jesus as someone with authority and power. He was seen as someone with whom anyone can find comfort and healing. But in the passage that we have read in Mark 14, we have seen Jesus experience His darkest night. He knows the separation from God and the great suffering and death that He was about to face. He felt deeply distressed and troubled; for though He's God, He's also human like us. And the only thing He did was also running towards God our Father.
When we find ourselves distressed and troubled, the new nature that God gave us pushes us to run towards Him for protection and security. It’s very common for us to recite and declare His promises to us such as:
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24 ESV)
“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:22 ESV)
And the very popular and commonly misused Jeremiah 29:11...
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV) … and,
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 ESV)
Such verses ease the uproar in our hearts, giving us hope that somehow our prayers will be answered the way we expect them to be answered.
Furthermore, we are also aware of the 3 common answers that we may receive from God: the YES, NEXT TIME, and NO. Of course, it’s good to receive the answer YES. The NEXT TIME is also good, for it’s actually also a YES, just delayed this time. But when it comes to the answer NO? It’s usually difficult and often painful for us to accept, especially in times when we need a speedy answer from God or in prayers where lives are at stake. Sometimes because of our fear of receiving the answer NO, we end up not praying for it at all. I sometimes have prayer concerns that I end up not praying for because I was afraid to receive the answer NO. Misusing the Bible verses, Matthew 21:22 and Mark 11:4, I end up concluding myself to be lacking in faith and belief when I receive a NO as an answer from God. So, when my prayer concern seems to be far from possible to happen, I end up excluding it from my prayer list so to avoid the possibility of receiving NO as an answer and feel that I lack in faith and belief. Or when I receive NO as an answer, it sometimes makes me wonder if God even heard my prayers, or maybe my prayers didn’t have enough thrust of faith to break through the roof of my room so it can reach the heavens. But that's actually a wrong thought and a wrong mindset to have. It actually shows that I lack faith and belief and I am afraid to confess it; and, it means I still have to learn some other truths when it comes to prayer.
JUST BECAUSE GOD IS SILENT, IT DOESN’T MEAN HE DOESN’T HEAR NOR SPEAK
JUST BECAUSE GOD IS SILENT, IT DOESN’T MEAN HE DOESN’T HEAR NOR SPEAK
When God gives NO as an answer, we usually perceive it as His silence. If we are spiritually unhealthy, we will assume we are not hearing something from God when we receive nothing during the deadlines of our requests. A little bit more overthinking, we will end up thinking He has never heard our prayers. Go on and we will end up concluding that we lack faith. You know those moments when we ask, “Lord, are you even hearing my prayers? Are you even listening? Do I lack in faith?”
1.) SIN HAS A GREAT FACTOR IN OUR PRAYERS BEING UNANSWERED
“Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2 ESV)
We have to realize the things that might be hindering God from answering our prayers. Despite knowing that God is kind, loving, generous, and gracious, we likewise have to understand that God is also holy and righteous. If we will continue reading in Isaiah 59, it says:
“For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness.” (Isaiah 59:3 ESV)
This is why it’s very important that we sincerely confess our sins to God, even the hidden ones, before we present our supplications to Him. We are followers of Christ. It’s not just all about Him being our Savior but also about Him being our Lord. Lordship concerns not only our obedience; it also concerns our character and values being changed. What does that mean?
2.) WE PRAY NOT FOR OUR PRAYERS TO BE ANSWERED, BUT FOR OUR HEARTS TO BE ALIGNED WITH GOD’S HEART.
If we are led by our sinful nature (e.g., being hateful and unforgiving, having the intention to hurt others), our prayers will also be influenced by sin (in this case, wrong prayers), ending up with NO as an answer from a holy and righteous God.
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend in on your passions.” (James 4:3 ESV)
“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15 ESV)
This particular verse is a discourse. Discourse is a writing style that says “if you do this, that will happen… if you don’t do this, that will happen.” A discourse shows the cause and effect of situations stated in a writing. In 1 John 5:14-15… it says that we have the requests that we have asked of Him IF we know that He hears us; we know that He hears us IF we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL.
So how do we know His will? By reading and understanding His Word.
“For all the promises of God find their YES in Him [Jesus Christ]. That is why it is through Him that we utter our AMEN to God for His glory.” (2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV, *emphases and brackets added.)
BUT… we have to be careful in proclaiming His promises. We may be praying in the declaration of His promises for us, but we may end up misusing or misquoting His Scriptures. We have to remember that Jesus is not just JEREMIAH 29:11… Jesus is not just PHILIPPIANS 4:13 (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me) nor JOHN 14:14 (If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it) alone. Our character, values, and mindset must not be only changed by the mentioned scriptures but BY THE WHOLE BIBLE. Not just by our favorite Bible verses. We have to remember that Satan tried to tempt Jesus with parts of the Scripture itself. How did He oppose it? By the Scriptures itself. The Pharisees and Sadducees were blinded by the Scripture itself. How did Jesus rebuke them? By the Scriptures itself. So, we really have to align our hearts to God’s heart by knowing and living out the WHOLE Bible, not just parts of it. We can only do it by the Holy Spirit through God’s grace.
Speaking of God’s grace.
3.) GOD’S “NO” CAN MEAN GOD’S GRACE
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 ESV)
In this passage, Apostle Paul received from God a thorn in the flesh to keep him from being conceited because of the great revelations revealed to him. This Scripture is somehow related to our first and second points. In the previous points, we receive NO because of our sins. But this time, Paul was given a NO to keep him from sinning. The thorn in Paul’s flesh was given to him so he would not be very proud of himself because of God’s great revelations to him. He asked God three times to take it away from Him. But God refused to grant his wish and instead assured him that His grace is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in his weakness. The same applies to us.
“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV)
We all have personal dealings in life that make it difficult for us to serve God. It could be our weaknesses and incapability, our health issues, our financial disabilities, even persecutions or calamities. But these afflictions should never stop us from serving Him and pursuing the life He has for us. That is why He gives us His grace and power, and so we might know that we work in partnership with Him, and not on our own strengths and capabilities alone. Through God’s “NO” in removing our afflictions, we can always experience His grace and depend on His power.
So, what if we still receive NO even when we’ve already confessed our sins, asked for His forgiveness and grace and, and have aligned our hearts to His heart?
4.) GOD’S “NO” CAN BE A WAY WE CAN GLORIFY HIM.
Prayers do not end at the deadlines of our requests. Prayers, whether answered or not will always continue as good testimonies. Answered prayers are very good testimonies. But it doesn’t mean the unanswered prayers can’t be good testimonies as well.
“And going a little further, He fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.’” (Mark 14:35-36 ESV)
Imagine Jesus Christ being in the human flesh. Imagine what He was feeling during that night of prayer. He felt distressed and troubled. His soul was greatly sorrowed, even to the point of death. He declared that nothing is impossible with God, and even asked Him to take the cup away from Him. And yet, Jesus knew that it’s the will of God. Through His obedience and sacrifice, He will be glorified with the father and the world can be saved. And now we are enjoying the abundant life He has for us as well as the eternal hope that we have in Him.
I’ve watched a documentary entitled, “American Gospel” and one sick woman testified of her life in Jesus Christ. She is suffering from a lot of chronic and life-threatening illnesses. She began to know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior, and so had the faith for God’s healing. She prayed for God to heal her, but instead, she’s acquired more illnesses. Did it cause her to stumble? Did it cause her to curse God? No. She used it to testify to other people that more than her afflictions, she sees God working for her good and for His glory. She finds peace and comfort more than when she was not sick. If she would be given the chance to be back to the time when she was well and yet she hasn’t known Jesus yet, she’d choose to suffer in the present as long as she keeps on walking with Jesus Christ. And her testimony has given hope and great encouragement to many people, including me.
CONCLUSION:
The very purpose that we have in life is to glorify God in our fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ. A lot of people don’t know God and find no meaning, joy, and peace in life, despite how much of the world they can acquire. But upon knowing our purpose, we shall know that even in confusion, unanswered prayers, and God’s silence, we shall have the strength to endure the sufferings we face for Christ; in affliction, and persecution, and tribulation.
We can always glorify God in every answer He gives us, whether it’s a YES, NEXT TIME, or a NO. In our life as followers of Christ, we have to focus our eyes on the PROVIDER and not on the PROVISION. If we focus ourselves on Jesus Christ, we will eventually realize that He is the GIVER, and at the same time, He is the GIFT. Having NO as an answer to our prayers, will not really matter if Jesus is all that matters for us.
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