Christian Living

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Why is the Answer a No?

By: Rick L. King
July 28, 2008

When we pray, do we sometimes find that an answer doesn’t come or the answer maybe is no? Do you ever wrestle with this because scripture says?

Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

We need to go deeper in understanding. We read that God’s ways are higher than ours are and that his thoughts are higher than ours are. He also says that in our flesh (which means in the Greek translation, our carnal mind) dwells no good thing. Paul said in Ro 8:8, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God”. The word again means our carnal mind. Jesus emptied himself of self. He said that his will was to do the will of the Father, which sent him. You may say that this was Jesus and that’s a different story. But is it really? Paul said in, “Ga 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Ga 5:24 And they that are Christ‘s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts”.

Paul learned that it was not about him. He died to self. He learned that it was only about what Jesus did in and through him that mattered. He learned that pleasing his flesh or carnal mind displeased God and was not God’s will. If we are dead to self and our carnal mind or way of thinking, then the mind of Jesus can manifest through us and we now will only be concerned about what Jesus desires to do, which by the way is according to the will of God. We so often view things in our flesh by a temporal viewpoint. The Holy Spirit views things from an eternal viewpoint according to the plans and purposes of our heavenly Father. We are told to: “Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”. This mind is God’s mind as Jesus emptied himself of His will.


The following scriptures tell us what God has in mind.

Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Ro 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Joh 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Re 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
Re 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
Re 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
Re 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Re 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Re 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Re 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Re 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.


1Jo 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Unless we have knowledge of God’s will by listening to the Holy Spirit instead of our carnal thinking mind, we are not asking according to God’s will. James says that we are asking amiss and do not receive. The real key for all of us is to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit. We must get our thinking out of the way. We are told in, “2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”. If we can just learn to get rid of our imaginations (our carnal thoughts), then we can have God’s mind and knowledge. This comes as we listen to God’s Holy Spirit instead of our own mind. We can then say that we have the mind of Christ and what we ask we know that we will receive as we asking in agreement with God’s will. Consider the difference. Asking God to agree with our will instead of us coming into agreement with His will. Finding and knowing God’s will takes commitment and effort on our part. Unfortunately many are unwilling to pay that price. They are more concerned about what they want and this temporal world than what God has in store. Maybe it is time that we started focussing on pleasing Him instead of self.

He that hath an ear, let him heareth what the spirit sayeth to the church.


Isa 42:19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’S servant?

It is time to listen.

Need to contact me? Email Rick @ [email protected]…thanks!

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