Brace Yourself, Some of Your Prayers Will Not Get the desired Answered…

In Matthew 26:39-45, Jesus prayed to God three times, asking for his suffering to be taken away. But God did not grant this request. Even though Jesus’ prayers weren’t answered in the way he hoped, it didn’t mean that God didn’t love him. 

Jesus came to Earth for a specific reason: to share the good news, sacrifice himself for humanity, and create a path for people to reconnect with God before returning to Heaven to prepare a place for those who believe. The prophets foretold these events, and we know that God keeps His promises; He never goes back on His words, so, granting Jesus’ request would have been going back on his words. Even though God saw the pain Jesus was going through, and his heartbreak, the plan had to be followed through. 

How is this message relevant to you and me? Sometimes, suffering is part of a bigger purpose. It’s not that God enjoys seeing us in pain; rather, these tough times can lead to greater rewards down the road. For example, if Jesus hadn’t gone through his suffering and death, the plan for salvation wouldn’t have been completed. Similarly, if we don’t face our purpose hardships, we might miss out on some blessings that come afterwards. 

Having said that, we also need to acknowledge that not all suffering is meant for a good purpose. Some challenges come from negative forces, but if we stay strong and keep our faith, we can find rewards waiting for us, just like Job experienced. 

Brethren, when we face suffering, the best we can do is pray and ask God to relieve our pain if it’s His will, or to help us find meaning in our struggles. I have seen people question and abandon God when they face difficult times. Should this be so? What do we gain then by pushing away from God? Does that take the suffering away? 

Suffering shouldn’t push us away from God; rather, it should draw us closer so we can better understand His intentions for our lives. 

Ultimately, it is important for us to always remember that not every prayer for relief will be answered the way we want. God will answer because He promised to always answer, but not necessarily in the way we ask for it. 

While it’s difficult to accept, some sufferings are part of a larger journey that God has planned for us. Remember Joseph and all he had to go through to become a prime monster in Egypt? 

Beloved,  we need to carry our burdens with faith, trusting that God wants what’s best for us and that He will guide us to a hopeful future.