King David had in his heart to build a temple, a permanent temple so Israel could worship Jehovah. He prayed, sought the Lord’s will. In 2 Samuel 7, God said no.
No.
Let’s be honest, when we talk about God answering our prayers, what we really mean is God answering our prayers the way we want Him to. We rejoice and testify when He gives us what we asked for, what we want. Everything gets derailed when we don’t receive. We worry about our relationship with God. We grumble that He’s distant, uncaring, or untouched by our situation.
Scripture assures us that God hears every prayer we utter. Sometimes the answer is just ‘no’.
How we receive that ‘no’ can reveal more about our relationship with God than a ‘yes’ ever could.
It will tell us whether we love God Himself or just the things He does for us.
It will tell us whether we are surrendered to God’s agenda, or expect Him to follow ours.
It will reveal if we feel entitled to God’s favor rather than clinging to His grace.
Do we truly believe God has our best interests always at heart? Do we genuinely trust His plan for our lives?
Is it real faith or fake? Persevering or put on? We find out when God says ‘no’.