When God Says No

Sometimes it’s hard to accept a negative response from someone–like being told no–, but it’s more disappointing when God says no. Why would a loving God Who tells us that He wants the best for us ever tell us no?

Well, let’s be honest. The simplest explanation for God to say no to our heartfelt request is because it goes against His will. As Christians, our core desire should be fulfilling the will of God in our lives. But knowing that and living in that belief from day-to-day may cause us to stumble around some very human questions.

When God Says No, Don’t Stop Praying

Prayer is not only our way of communicating with God, but it’s His way of communicating with us. When we pray, we enter into a special time of fellowship with the Heavenly Father. It’s a two-way relationship.

God is not a genie who fulfills all our wishes, or an elf-on-the-shelf who is watching our behavior, nor a Santa seeing who’s been good or bad. He is much greater than any of those.

Just think about it, a genie can only grant three wishes, and then he has to go back into captivity. An elf who sits idly by watching you from a shelf is just disturbing. And Santa is only seasonal; we only request things from him once a year. 

Our Heavenly Father is the Creator of the Universe. He could give us everything we ask for, but in His wisdom, He gives us only the good gifts that are perfect for us. When God says no, He is not trying to punish us.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

What If I Don’t Want to Accept It When God Says No?

No one is superior to God. He set the cosmos into orbit, He created all living things, and He sustains all that He created. However, He gave humankind a special kind of power—the power of decision. 

This power gives us the ability to make our own decisions in every area of our lives. But it would do us well to remember that there are consequences to every decision we make.

Our lives are woven intricately into those around us. So, the decisions we make always affect others, whether we are aware of it or not.

As Christians, when we sense God is not approving of something we are asking for, we trust that He knows best and sees the whole picture.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. -Proverbs 3:5-8

Hearing God Say No Is Not the Worst Thing That Can Happen

When we have been praying about a situation for a time and begin feeling like God is saying no, our first response may be a disappointment. That’s natural. We don’t like not getting our way. But trusting God has our best interests in mind should encourage us that the no we receive is for our best.

I mean, from a human perspective, we could imagine 1,000 different scenarios of why one situation would be better than our initial request for God to say no.

• the job we are praying for may take us away from much needed Christian fellowship
• a relationship that we can’t live without (we believe) may turn our heart from God
• a request for something that may bring harm to ourselves or others
• *or fill in your scenario here*

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 

Sometimes When God Says No, He Means Wait

When we hear no from the Lord, sometimes the door is closed, and no amount of pleading will change the situation. But sometimes, that no simply means not yet. God has all the time in the world (literally), so it is in His time that things work out.

With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. -2 Peter 3:8

Sometimes When God Says No, There Will Be Something Better

All prayer requests are not life-changing, of course, but as the adage goes, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” Our bigger requests cause bigger disappointments. But disappointments change into rejoicing when we wait on the Lord and see what He is doing in our lives. Sometimes no means something better is around the corner.

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. -Isaiah 40:31

When God Said No to Jesus

Jesus came to earth to fulfill the Father’s will. He kept every commandment, obeyed every law, and surrendered His complete will to do the work the Father had sent Him to do.

The night before Jesus’ arrest, He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Calling three of the disciples to go with Him to pray, Jesus said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with Me.”

Falling on His face, He cried out, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. ” Three times He prayed this prayer, and three times the Father said no because there was no other way. 

Without Jesus’ work on the cross and His resurrection, we would have no way of being redeemed back to God. Jesus is the Way.

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. -Hebrews 10:12

When God Says No, Turn It Into Know.

If you have been praying and are beginning to think God is telling you no, don’t get discouraged. Maybe He is saying wait, or I have something better.  

Faith is believing God and trusting in His Word. As you wait for His answer or allow Him to turn your heart towards another desire, don’t forget to look for the lesson that He may be showing you. 

Here’s the Thing

Our God is loving. He sent His only Son to die a horrendous death by taking all of our sins onto Himself. If God did not hold back His only begotten Son, why would He hold anything good back from us?

His ultimate will is for us to get to know Him better, and that process takes trial, testing, and time. Trust the process.

• Read the Bible
• Stay on your knees
• And exercise your faith by knowing He has all things under His control.

Jesus gave this warning to His disciples, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

God loves you. If you belong to Him, you are a co-heir with Christ. 

If the thing you are praying for seems reasonable to you, but you still get a no from our Heavenly Father, keep praying. Not to nag Him into giving you what you want, but pray for clarity. Ask Him to give you the faith you need to trust that His will is always the best.

People In The Bible Who Heard “No” From God

• God told Moses no when he asked to go into the Promise Land because of Moses’ sin. (Numbers 20:10-13)
• God told Martha and Mary no when they asked for their brother’s life because God was planning something greater. (John 11:1-4)
• God told Paul no when he asked for healing because God wanted to show His strength through Paul. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

Be Encouraged

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. -1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)

Please Leave A Comment

I would love to hear what God has done in your life. Has He turned a no into something better? Or maybe you received the answer you were praying for. Please share with us in the comment section below, so we can rejoice with you.

BE BLESSED!