And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

God Always Says Yes

Prayer is pleading the promises of God. The ability of creation being able to talk with the Creator is a gift of grace God allows for sinful man. There is nothing man has done to merit a merciful God accepting the petitions of men, but the Father implores His children to speak to Him. The promises of God have been written down so the world can know the personality of God so that men can know what to ask in prayer. Prayer and the Bible go hand in hand. Everything that is needed to arm the soul with prayer is found in the scriptures. From the beginning of the stories in Genesis to the unveiling of the eternal paradise in the Revelation, God has shown the answer to prayer is always yes, and He never tells man no. Understanding how God answers prayer will help to know the power of God.

At first glance, the idea that God always says yes is contradictory. When the question of answered prayer is discussed, the answers are given that God will say yes, no, and or it is time to wait. Paul had a problem. He was experiencing a thorn in the flesh, a great problem in his life. The Holy Spirit does not reveal what the thorn was because the lesson is not about the thorn but the manner God answers prayer. Paul entreated the Lord three times to remove the thorn. Whatever the thorn was, it became the focus of Paul’s life to remove it. He pleaded with the Lord begging Him to take away the messenger of Satan. The answer God gave Paul was not a no but rather the strength that God said yes according to His will.

God told Paul all he needed to endure the thorn in his flesh was the grace of God. Through the power of the Lord, Paul would be strengthened. This was a positive, not a negative. If a man asks for something and is told no, he may feel rejected, and his petition is useless. God never answers prayer in a negative way because His way is true, just, holy, and purposeful in the lives of His children. Every time God answers a prayer, the petitioner must realize the answer is yes, according to the grace of God. Paul realized that in his prayer. He pleaded with the Lord to remove the thorn three times, and through the infirmity of the thorn, Paul became stronger. God did not say no to Paul; He said yes.

Prayer is not a vending machine demanding God give a man what he wants. God knows more about what a man needs than a man knows what he needs. He always says yes because the Lord sees the larger picture. If a man prays about a job he earnestly desires and prays fervently about that job to the Lord, he must learn to leave that prayer with the Lord and allow His grace to answer the petition. If the man does not get the job, does He blame God for telling him no, or does he, like Paul, accept the word of God with joy that God knows more about whether the job was a good decision or not? God said yes – according to His will.

Men get a little spoiled about prayer when God tells them no. They think God does not understand and that He is not giving them what they need. The truth should be realized that when a man prays to God, whatever answer is given is the correct answer for the good of the individual. God is always right because His answers are always yes! Paul was told the grace of God would allow him to overcome the thorn in the flesh. When the apostle saw the answer of God as a positive yes, he took pleasure in his infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, and distress. Everything Paul did was for the sake of Jesus Christ. He realized that God answered his prayer with a yes so that when he was weak, he could be strong. God is right all the time. He always says yes, and I am thankful He never tells me no.