In March, 1997 Newsweek magazine ran a cover-story on prayer. The article included three prayer stories. The first story concerned Mimi Rumpp. Mimi’s sister Miki needed a kidney transplant. So Mimi and her family started praying. Less than a year later, Miki got a new kidney, courtesy of a bank teller who was so moved by Miki’s plight that she had herself tested and discovered she was a perfect match. Her family prayed. And a kidney was provided.
The second story involved a late night in upstate New York, almost 20 years ago, when a woman took a short cut home. A man attacked her, tightening her scarf around her neck. At home, the woman’s mother woke up, seized with fear that something was happening to her daughter. The mother began praying. Back on the stony path, the would-be rapist ceased his assault and fled down the hill. A mother prayed and her daughter was saved.
The third prayer story told of the Arthritis Treatment Center where Dr. Dale Matthews was testing prayer. He took 60 people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and assigned them to be prayed for by others. One patient had 49 tender joints. After four sessions of prayer, he had only eight.
The Newsweek article comforts us by reminding us that prayers are often powerfully answered. Yet the article also grieves us because it reminds us that prayers are sometimes not answered powerfully.
You’ve probably prayed for something, only to have God say “no.” Those experiences convince some that prayer just doesn’t work. After Newsweek ran their cover-story on prayer, they received this letter to the editor: “I could hardly believe it–devoting eight pages plus the cover to such drivel in a news magazine! Life is a crap shoot–some people luck out and some don’t. Some people who need organ transplants get them and some don’t. There is no evidence of any kind that prayer has any affect whatsoever on the outcome…”
Are prayers answered with “no” evidence that prayer doesn’t work? The life of Paul provides some help with that question.
Prelude to a No
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul recounts a time when he prayed, and God said “no.” Paul’s sad tale is nestled in the middle of a section in the letter where his credentials are questioned:
10For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. (2 Cor. 10:10-12);
5Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. (2 Cor. 11:5-6).
These “super-apostles” were sabotaging Paul’s influence. “Paul’s bark is worse than his bite,” they were saying. “He writes a good letter, but face to face he’s a pushover.” “Paul preaches like a rookie,” they boasted.
Paul responds to their taunts. But instead of boasting about his accomplishments, he boasts about his weaknesses:
17What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not with the Lord’s authority but as a fool. 18Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. (2 Cor. 11:17-18 ESV);
But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. (2 Cor. 11:21b-30 ESV).
Paul responds to his enemies by boasting about his weaknesses.
In chapter 12, however, Paul switches gears. Paul wants them to see that in addition to weaknesses, he also has accomplishments—which make him someone to listen to: 1I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. (2 Cor. 12:1-4 ESV).
Paul concedes that there is nothing to be gained by what he’s about to do. Yet he also realizes that he has no choice: 11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. (2 Cor. 12:11 ESV) If Paul’s going to gain standing in the church, he has to beat these boasters at their own game.
Thus Paul reveals a spiritual experience. Spiritual experiences were one of the most valuable credentials a teacher like Paul could have. But Paul is so hesitant to boast about himself, that he describes the experience in third person: “I know a man in Christ who..was caught up into paradise…” Paul is describing himself.
In 12:1, Paul mentions visions and revelations. He seems to be saying, “I’ve had visions and revelations. But just so that you don’t leave this contest feeling like the losers you are, I’ll just share one of those visions and revelations.”
Paul describes a time 14 years ago when he was caught up “to the third heaven.” We’re used to thinking about heaven as one level. Paul describes it as multi-level. The basic concept seems to be that the top level, the third level, is where God resides. If heaven was Washington D.C., and God was the president, the first level would be the suburbs, the second level would be the city, and the third level would be the White House. Paul is saying to the “super-apostles”, “So, you’ve been to Washington, D.C.? Tell me about it? Did you get past the suburbs? Did you get into the city? Let me tell you about my last trip. I met with the President in the Oval Office.”
But that’s as far as Paul goes: 5On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:5-10 ESV).
Paul’s resume was so good that he was tempted to be “conceited.” Thus, he experienced what he calls a thorn in the flesh or a messenger/ angel of Satan. This thorn, this messenger, “harassed” Paul. The word “harass” means to batter, knock about, or brutally treat. Paul felt like a featherweight boxer in the heavyweight championship. This thorn was a big deal.
Paul doesn’t tell us what this thorn was. There are four options. First, some view it as spiritual torment. In the Middle Ages, a popular opinion was that Paul suffered the torment of sexual temptation. Some today argue he suffered temptation in general. Romans 7 seems to lend some support to this first view: 15For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Rom. 7:15-17 ESV). Perhaps Paul’s thorn was this spiritual torment of wanting to do what was right yet doing what was wrong.
Second, some view this thorn as a physical or mental illness. Suggestions range from headaches, to malarial fever, to epilepsy, to depression, to poor eyesight. In Gal 6:11 Paul describes his handwriting as large-lettered. Some suggest that was due to Paul’s poor eyesight. That this was some sort of physical ailment is supported by passages like Lk 13:16 which show that some illnesses were caused by Satan. It is also supported by passages like Gal 4:13-14 which describe a serious illness suffered by Paul.
Third, some view this thorn as a speech impediment. Paul never discounts the accusations in 2 Cor. 10-11 that his speaking is unimpressive. Perhaps it is unimpressive because he has a speech impediment.
Finally, some view this thorn as persecution. This view is supported by the fact that in 11:15, Paul calls the “super-apostles” servants of Satan. It is also supported by Paul’s other use of the word “harass” in 1 Cor 4:11 where he uses it to describe people persecuting him.
The least likely view of the four is the first one–the thorn as spiritual torment. The Paul of the Bible is ultimately one at peace with himself, his past, and his God.
But add up the other possibilities: Paul suffered from an illness which caused his body to shiver and sweat. Paul suffered migraine headaches. Paul had to have someone else write his letters because his eyes were bad. Paul stuttered at the beginning of every sermon. Paul had a regular crowd of dissenters waiting to beat him up after every church service. Paul tossed and turned in bed at every noise thinking it might be one of his enemies coming to kill him.
Three times Paul prayed about this thorn. “Please take it away. Please take it away. Please take it away.” Three times Paul prayed. But he only got one answer. The answer was “No.” “No.” “No.” God told Paul “No.”
But there was a reason for “No”: 7So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:7-10 ESV).
Why doesn’t God heal your illness or the illness of someone you love? Why doesn’t God give you the talent at school or work which others have? Why doesn’t God let you have that promotion or award? Why doesn’t God do something about a person in your life like a boss or coworker who makes things difficult?
We may never know for certain. But Paul’s experience teaches us that the “No” may be due to one of three reasons:
Because you might become conceited.
Because God’s grace is sufficient.
Because God’s power is made perfect in weakness.
Sometimes God says “No” “because you might become conceited.” The word “conceited” literally means “to exalt yourself.” The danger of having God remove all our struggles in answer to prayer is that all our strengths would then cause us to think too highly of ourselves. And once we thought too highly of ourselves we would think too little of God.
God may also say “no” because “his grace is sufficient” and “his power is made perfect in weakness.”
Paul may be using “grace” to talk about salvation. In that case he would be saying that we might not pray so hard for things we don’t yet have (better health, more talent) if we realized the value of what we already have–salvation.
In his book In The Grip of Grace Max Lucado illustrates with a parachute analogy. Suppose you’re flying in a chartered plane when suddenly the engine bursts into flames. The pilot rushes out of the cockpit, passes out parachutes, gives a few pointers, and throws open the door. The first passenger steps up and shouts over the wind, “Anyway I could get a pink parachute?” The pilot shakes his head in disbelief “Isn’t it enough that I gave you a parachute at all?” The second passenger steps to the door. “Can you ensure that I won’t get nauseated during the fall?” “No, but I can ensure that you will have a parachute.” Another passenger wants goggles. Another wants boots. “You people don’t understand,” the pilot shouts. “I’ve given you a parachute; that is enough.”
God, the captain, may be telling Paul and us, “You don’t need those things you just prayed for. You already have the most important thing–salvation. My grace is sufficient.”
Paul may also be using “grace” to refer to God’s power. When God says “my grace is sufficient for you” and “my power is made perfect in weakness,” it’s two ways of saying the same thing. The power God speaks of is his power at work in Paul and in us.
God can do great things through people. Look at what he did through Paul. He changed the face of history by sending this one man, and others like him, to plant churches across the Roman Empire. But look at Paul. His life was full of inadequacies. Yet those inadequacies allowed God to work powerfully through Paul.
God can only work in the lives of people who make themselves available for that work. And the kind of people who make themselves available for that work are those who realize they can’t do that work on their own. Paul finally realized that to make a difference in his world he didn’t need better health, less headahces, clearer eyesight, smoother speech, and fewer enemies. What he needed was God’s power. And if Paul had been given better health, less headaches, clearer eyesight, smoother speech, and fewer enemies, he may have never sought God’s power.
There is a story told about D. L. Moody, who helped as many as 100,000 people make a commitment to Jesus during his life. While preaching in Birmingham, England, a skeptical observer came to the meetings night after night, watching with a critical eye. Eventually he went to Moody and said, “I have seen this mission of yours, and have come to the conclusion that it is truly of God. I’ll tell you why. It is because I can see no possible relation between you personally and the results your mission is achieving.” Moody seemed too weak to experience such significant results. Thus the stranger drew the only correct conclusion: in Moody’s weakness, God was powerful.
The next time God tells you “No”, think twice before cursing him. God’s “No” may be the best answer. Why? Because a “yes” may have tempted you to become conceited. Because God’s grace is sufficient. Because his power is made perfect in your weakness.
the answer is simple no answer no god
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