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Mar 19, 2025 18:00pm

When Answers to Prayer are Hard

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Have you ever had a prayer answered in a way you didn’t expect? In a way that led to suffering and even greater difficulty?

It happened to the most righteous One that ever walked on earth. This experience, as a result of His prayer, tells us much about what we can expect at times, even when praying rightly.

A MIGHTY PRAYER

Perhaps there is no greater prayer ever prayed than the one Jesus uttered in the Garden of Gesthemane right before His death.

And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:36)

Notice three parts to this one-sentence prayer.

FAITH: “Father, you can do this for everything is possible with you.”
REQUEST: “remove this cup from Me”
SURRENDER: “Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

What Christ prayed for came true. Although the first request was not answered the way He desired, the second part was perfectly answered. God’s will was done.

But look at how it was answered …

all of His friends left him.
one of His disciples betrayed him with a kiss.
the world dragged him away and crucified Him.
On the cross, the Father laid the judgment for the sin of all the world on Him and Jesus was separated from His Father.
the worst possible suffering was endured.

And all of this in answer to His prayer, “Lord, Your will be done.”

HARD ANSWERS

What are we to think when we are not healed? When the money requested does not come in the way and time we seemingly need it most? When the prodigal doesn’t return? When we are not spared from suffering, but we have fervently prayed? Sometimes, the right answer leads to a cross. But in those answers, we are always provided for and sustained, and in those answers, God is most greatly magnified, and the suffering, one day, will be most greatly rewarded.

God knows what He is about. Always include in your request the greatest prayer—the prayer of surrender. “Lord, Your will be done.” This is the prayer, when humbly prayed, that will always be answered and yield the most valuable result from the God who loves us best … even if the answer is hard.