This is probably not news to you, but it is considered bad manners in some circles to interrupt a pastor in the middle of his sermon. I am one of the few people who actually did that despicable deed, and escaped without being struck by lightning. Here is the story.
The pastor that morning spoke on the topic of unanswered prayers. He appeared to have given the subject considerable thought, and spoke with feeling. He understood of course, that sometimes our prayers are not answered. We wonder why. He told us.
The pastor informed us that whatever we ask for in Jesus name will be granted to us—if we have faith. God grants the prayers of the faithful, but denies them to those who doubt, or who do not have a level of faith that God considers sufficient. Consider the example of Peter walking on water. As long as he had faith, he stayed dry. As soon as his faith wavered, he took the plunge. The pastor told us that our prayers are like that. If your prayers are not being answered, it is because your faith is not strong enough.
I looked around to see most of the heads in the congregation nodding. The pastor smiled. He seemed pleased that he was getting his message across. Before he started to speak again, I raised my hand and said, “Wait a minute. I can’t let that pass.”
Some of the faces in the room turned toward me with what may have been surprise. I can’t say with any certainty. I am not that good at reading the faces of confused Christians. What I said to the pastor next, as best I can remember it, was this:
“There isn’t a person in this room who has not had a prayer that didn’t get answered. It happens to everybody. And there is no way for you or anybody else to know why God chooses to answer some prayers and not others. Do you realize what you are saying to these people? If they pray for their child who has cancer, and the child dies, it is their fault because they didn’t have a strong enough faith. If they get laid off after praying they will keep their job, it is their own fault. They just didn’t have enough faith.
I don’t know how you can say that explanation is true when even Jesus had a prayer unanswered. In the garden the night before He died, He asked to be spared the crucifixion. That prayer wasn’t answered. Do you think Jesus lacked faith?
What you are teaching is not true. Worse yet, it is harmful. You are forcing people to blame themselves and feel like they have failed God when bad things happen. And bad things are going to happen. You are hurting people with this teaching, and you need to stop it.”
The pastor smiled again, and said, “Well, now we know what Wade thinks,” and went on to another topic.
I have not returned to that church. Oddly enough, I have not been invited back. Perhaps they lost my phone number.
In fairness to the pastor, I can see how he reached the conclusion he did. The Bible tells us that our prayers will be answered if we have faith. It also tells us they will be answered if we ask for something that is in God’s will. But what if we have tremendous faith in something that is not in God’s will? Why does the Bible tell us our prayers will be answered when we all know they will not always be answered? I have no idea how to resolve these questions. If someone tells you they know the answer to this mystery, walk away slowly, and don’t turn your back on them.
The issue, as I see it, is not isolated to Christians, or Jews, or Muslims. Everyone who has called out to God understands the problem, whether they are part of a mainstream religion, or just cry out to the spirit in the sky.
I can understand that our prayers should not always be answered. If all prayers were answered, no one would ever lose the Super Bowl. Sometimes we ask for stupid and selfish things. Sometimes we need to be told “No.” I understand that. What I don’t understand is why the Bible makes it sound like our prayers will always be answered, when it is clear that they will not. Finally, I don’t understand why pastors feel compelled to make matters worse by blaming the person who has offered the prayer.