Go Beyond Three – Consider the Fourth Answer to Prayer

Yes, no, or wait. Most Christians are familiar with these three possible answers to prayer. But have you considered the fourth option?

Think about the last survey you completed. Multiple-choice options on a scale from one to five, or perhaps from “Completely Agree” to “Completely Disagree.” However, there’s often an extra option off to the side: “N/A.” As I recently completed yet another survey, the “N/A” option caught my attention in a fresh way. This time related to my prayer life.

“Yes.” The answer we hope for when we bring our requests to God. Requests for healing, finances, relationships, safety, and more.

“No.” The answer God may give because He knows our request is not His best for us or for the larger situation. Or maybe He is using a difficulty to grow us spiritually or for us to be a witness to the world of the reality of His “peace that passes all understanding.” Or any one of a variety of other reasons we may not comprehend.

“Wait.” God’s answer when the request is His best for us, but the timing is off. Perhaps we’re not ready to receive the answer we want. Maybe the Lord is still preparing us to receive it by nurturing the fruit of His Spirit in us. Or perhaps the people around us will be affected by the answer and the “Wait” is for their sake, not ours. We see this in the lives of many Old Testament believers who did not see fulfilled promises in their lifetime. Hebrews 11:13 reminds us, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.”

Not Applicable

There’s a fourth possible answer to our prayers. “Not applicable.” Some prayer requests and biblical promises simply don’t apply to us.

For example, Deuteronomy 28:1 (NIV) tells us, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.” Many well-meaning Christians pray this as a request and claim this promise for the United States. But while the founders of the U.S. held a biblical worldview, they founded this nation as a republic, not a theocracy. Ancient Israel was a theocracy—their king was Yahweh, whom they ultimately rejected (1 Samuel 8:7).

How do we know this promise was for ancient Israel, and not for the United States in the 21^st century? Just look at 2 Chronicles 7:19-20, “If you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name.” The promise was for a nation governed as a theocracy—a nation whose king was God Himself.

Similarly, prayer based on Luke 10:19 is not applicable to us today. In this chapter, Jesus sent 72 of His followers to proclaim the arrival of the Kingdom of God. In v. 19, He said, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” This was a promise to a specific group for a specific season. How do we know this promise was limited? Consider how many early followers lost their lives to violent persecution, then and down through history even to the 21^st century.

Praying God’s Word back to Him is a solid foundation for our requests. However, let’s be sure to check the context of the verses we quote to ensure His answer isn’t “Not Applicable”!