Is it always best for us to have our prayers answered positively? Could God also teach us important lessons by not answering us as we desire? One amazing example of a prayer answered in Scripture is that of  king Hezekiah, recorded both in  Isaiah chapter 38 and 2 Kings chapter 20. He had heard from God Himself that he was to die, and to set his house in order. This set this king to praying as earnestly as he ever had, and by the way, this man’s prayer life is a great example to us, and God answered his prayer for healing! Hezekiah was granted 15 further years to live after he fervently prayed to the Lord to let him live, but if we look closely at the Scripture’s record of his life after this, unfortunately we don’t see a whole lot that is good and positive either for him or Judah as a nation over which he reigned as king. For one thing, the man that would go on to become the most wicked king in Israel’s history, Manasseh, was born in this extra time that the Lord gave Hezekiah. This man would lead the nation into some of the worst idolatry they’d ever been involved in, and on to judgment. Another thing we see in Hezekiah’s life after he is granted extra time to live is that he didn’t finish nearly as well as he had begun in his walk with God. Sometimes it is not the best thing for us to get the answer we want to prayer. Earlier in his life, Hezekiah had prayed one of the most wonderful prayers in all Scripture when the nation was in a terrible time of fearfulness, with the world power of its day, bloodthirsty Assyria, breathing down their neck, having destroyed all other powers and now promising to do the same to Judah. Hezekiah bared his heart to God and asked that He simply do what would bring Him glory and would be for the best for Judah. God answered his prayer and He certainly did get the glory! Hezekiah was believed to have written a few Psalms, one of which was the 116th, in which he pours out his heart of gratitude for God’s grace in answering his prayer for extended life. He was a man that truly loved the Lord, and he had many reasons to do so! If we genuinely love the Lord, we have reasons as well! Sometimes when we think God has not answered our prayers is when He has not answered them our way. The reality is that if God did always answer our prayers the way we want, we’d never learn the true meaning of life and we’d become like spoiled children, which our loving Father won’t allow since He loves us too much. God does often answer our prayers as we ask them, but if He does not, it is certain that He wants something far better for us and many others as well!

We offer a free study course in our BBN Bible Institute on this great 116th Psalm, as well as some others Psalms in course 30800, Selected Psalms, taught by Dr. Stanley Collins. We trust the Lord will answer many of your questions from His Word concerning prayer as well as other important topics through this course! If you are blessed by this, please share the blessing with a friend!