ambassadors for the risen Christ ministries

by Shawn Brasseaux
Published in The (Opelousas, Louisiana) Daily World

Have you ever prayed to God and it seemed as though your prayer went unanswered? The Bible says that God hears the Christians’ prayers, but why do many Christians feel like God never heard them? In John 14:14, and many other places, Jesus Christ said, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Everyone reading this has prayed for something, but they never got it. However, Christ did not lie, and the Bible is not in error. In order to understand this verse, we need the dispensational approach to Scripture.

Remember “rightly dividing” the Scriptures, separating what was spoken to Israel and what is written to the Body of Christ? So, in the Four Gospels, Christ is preparing the nation Israel for their kingdom. We should interpret the Four Gospels in light of that kingdom. With Christ having His kingdom centered in Jerusalem, everything would be perfect, and no one would be in need: it would literally be heaven on earth.

These “ask what you want and get it” prayers were not promised to us. Our apostle, Paul the apostle of the Gentiles, writes nothing like John 14:4. Contrariwise, though Paul prayed three times for God to remove his thorn in the flesh, he never received physical healing (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Why? God has changed the program, inserting our present-day Dispensation of Grace into His plan for the ages. The miracles performed in Christ’s earthly ministry are not happening today. Israel has been temporarily set aside as God forms the Body of Christ. Today, we as Gentiles have not been promised Israel’s kingdom.

So, when God does not heal someone of a sickness after they pray fervently, does this mean that God does not love them? No, Calvary proves God loves us (Romans 5:8). Rather, we live in a fallen world, corrupted with sin and suffering (Romans 8:18-25). When Israel’s kingdom is finally brought in, the curse will be lifted, and earth renovated. Until then, let us remember that as long as we are believers in Christ, God hears our prayers, and no matter what God does in response, we still have His peace and grace to comfort us (Philippians 4:6-7).