When God Says No (Acts 16:6)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
Numbers 20:12

And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.
1 Chronicles 17:11-13

Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.
Acts 16:6

God answers all prayers. Sometimes the answer is no. Even the great heroes of the Bible, Moses, David, and Paul all received a no from God. So if God says no to you, rest assured, you are in good company. When we receive a no, we may think that something is wrong with us. Perhaps we asked with wrong intentions or perhaps we have unconfessed sin in our lives. We may even think that God is upset with us, that He is answering with a no because He is punishing us. But why should we assume that if the answer is no, that it is a bad outcome?

If God says no, it may be for any or all of the reasons listed and many that we can never even imagine. But we should never assume that a no means a bad outcome. God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Thank goodness! Our perceptions and understanding of the world are so limited and colored with our biases and prejudices. We may think that we know best how to direct our lives, but we will always fall far short of the ideal. If God says no, it should always prompt us to examine our motives. But if we have truly asked for something in God’s will and the answer is still no, we should accept the answer with the same joy as if the answer was yes. Be secure in the knowledge that the God of the Universe and your Creator has a much greater plan for you with blessings you would never have imagined!

Accept God’s answers to all of your prayers. Seek His will in your life.