Each of us have wondered at some time, “Why is it that God answers some prayers and not others?”  Many great preachers have taught great sermons on this matter.  Sometimes the most simple explanation suffices in place of deep theological exhortations.  This is one possible simple explanation.

Everyone loves to hear a scripture like Mark 10:27 where it says, “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”  This is good for our faith.  To know and believe that God can do anything should give us strength and hope.  That same scripture can be a problem when we have a need for something seemingly impossible and God does not come through for us.  This scripture becomes disheartening and may actually cause us to question our faith.  We ask things like, “If God is so powerful and He can do anything, why would he not answer my prayer?  Does he not care?”

What you must remember in this situation is that God is our Heavenly Father.  He watches over his children and cares for them dearly.  No father likes to see his children suffer.  The same is true for our Heavenly Father.  He does not like to see us suffer, especially when the suffering is self-inflicted.  How many of our sufferings are of our own doings?  We, as human beings, like to place blame.  It is natural that when something bad happens in our lives for us to look to God and say, “Why God? Why?”  When in fact, we should be looking in the mirror and saying, “Why me? Why?”  There are those instances where bad things do happened to good people.  In those times it may cause us to look at God and ask why?

It all goes back to the rules of parenting.  As a parent you allow or do not allow certain things in your children’s lives even though they may or may not want it.  A father with a sick child will make him go see the doctor even though the child may hate going to the doctors.  We even make our kids go to the dentist when nothing is wrong.  We torture our kids with check-ups because we know it is for their best in the long run.  On the other hand, there are certain things that our children would like to have or do and we say no, even though it may be possible.

Even though all things are possible, not all things are permissible.  It is possible for you to do drugs.  It is not permissible.  It is possible for you to murder someone but it is not permissible.  You can live your life in whatever way you want but that does not mean it is ok.  Just like it is possible to let your child stay up to midnight every night, but you would never give them permission to do so.

Jesus had to experience this first hand.  As He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane He said,  “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mark 14:36)  Jesus literally said to His heavenly Father, “I know all things are possible but I realize that it may not be permissible.  Whatever your will is for my life, I will do it.”  To accept what happens in your life, good and bad, pretty and ugly, requires you to surrender your will to His will.  You must realize that He knows what is best for your life even if it may not be the easiest.  You can ask God all day to answer a specific prayer, but at the end of the day you have to realize that with God it is possible, but it may not be permissible.  Possible does not mean permissible.  Instead of throwing your hands in the air and yelling, “Why God, why?”, throw your hands in the air in complete surrender of your will to God’s will.  What He has allowed in your life is for your own good.