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There are many verses in Scripture that proclaim God's promises to answer our prayers and fulfill our desires. However, these are among its most misunderstood verses because many believers miss or ignore these promises' requirements. As listed in Psalm 37:4-5, John 15:7, and 1 John 5:14, these include building an intimate relationship with God, fully surrendering our lives to Him, abiding in Christ, and aligning our desires and prayers with His will. Unfortunately, many of us fail to obey these commands and still expect God to bless us and work in our lives, albeit in the way we think He should. As the Scriptures reveal, demanding God to work on our terms is foolish and can rob us of His best for us.
This is illustrated by Naaman the Syrian in 2 Kings 5. Desperately seeking deliverance from his leprosy, he visited Israel to meet Elisha for healing. However, Naaman was instead greeted by a messenger who told him to bathe seven times in the Jordan river. This infuriated Naaman because, as verse 11 notes, he desired to be healed on his terms. Specifically, he expected to personally meet Elisha and passively receive God's deliverance. Although he initially rejected the messenger's command and almost left unhealed, Naaman was convinced by his servants to obey. Because he submitted to God's will, he joyously received divine healing. Had Naaman insisted that he be healed on his terms, he would never have received his deliverance nor his newfound faith in God.
Another example that demonstrates the superiority of God's will over ours is Joseph. In Genesis 37, He gave him two dreams that foretold him receiving honor from and authority over his family. However, God's fulfilment of these dreams required Joseph to undergo intense tribulation. For example, his jealous brothers hatefully responded to his favor and dreams by selling him into slavery. Beyond having his world turned upside down by being separated from his family, he was forced to serve a pagan master in a foreign land. Furthermore, despite obeying God in rejecting his master's wife's advances, Joseph was falsely accused by her and was unjustly imprisoned. Given the intense trials he endured, Joseph could have easily questioned God's plan and demanded He work on his terms.
Fortunately, he instead endured through his unwavering faith and obedience to Him. By maintaining this humble attitude, he not only protected his soul from despair and resentment, but also allowed God to greatly bless him in every situation He placed him in. Furthermore, in His perfect timing, He used Joseph's trials to fulfil His promises in a manner far beyond what he could have ever imagined. Specifically, not only did He give him authority and honor from his brothers, but He also made him second-in-command over a powerful empire and with this authority enabled him to rescue it and his family from severe famine. Thus, although God allows us to experience disappointment, unexpected events, and even intense trials, Joseph's account proves that He uses all these to prepare us for receiving His best.
Although God desires to answer our prayers and fulfill our desires, He cannot do so unless we allow Him to work in us on His terms. Whether we angrily demand our way like Naaman or humbly submit to His will like Joseph will determine if we foolishly miss His blessings or joyfully receive them. It is by consistently following Joseph's example that we will not only withstand the trials God allows but also grow in them and enable ourselves to receive His best.
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