When I exercise, I like to listen to audiobooks. Some time back, I listened to Prayer, by Philip Yancey. Many times the author uses the phrase “unanswered prayer”. Granted, Yancey explains his use of the term, but I’ve always disliked calling a prayer “unanswered” just because it’s not answered according to our liking. To say that prayer is unanswered is to say God turns a deaf ear to requests to which He has said he would listen.
A Christian can literally do whatever he wants to do.
If we ask according to His will, we know He hears us — 1 John 5:14.
God is attentive to the prayer of the righteous — 1 Peter 3:12.
Prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective — James 5:16.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7
I see a few qualifiers there. These verses tell me God will answer my prayer if whatever I ask is according to His will, if I am righteous, and if I abide in Jesus and His words abide in me. I see no cause for confusion on the first 2 points. God said He will “hear us” and that He is “attentive to [our] prayer” if we are righteous. But will God really do anything for me if I just ask? Isn’t that what Jesus promised? In a word, no.
I once heard an elder say in a Bible class that a Christian can literally do whatever he wants to do. He didn’t just leave it at that; he explained his statement and I agree with him. If I truly abide in Christ, and His words abide in me (John 15:7), then the very things I want to do will be exactly what He wants me to do. Thus, I can literally do whatever I want. By extension, I can literally ask for whatever I want and it will be given to me (NIV) or done for me (NASV).
So, just like an attentive parent answers every request of his child, God answers every prayer of His child. Sometimes he says “yes, right now”, sometimes he says “yes, but later”, and sometimes he says “no”, but He listens attentively when I talk to Him, and He responds in accordance with His good and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2).
