God Has a Free Will
“… our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace… But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3: 17, 18)
Don’t try to put God on the spot in praying. Often people are heard to say, “I know God is going to do (whatever). I have prayed and have faith so He is going to do it.”
In a local church a group prayed for a miraculous healing of a friend who died soon thereafter. A minister who was in that group said God didn’t heal the person because somebody in the group didn’t have enough faith to believe He would. A teenager in the group thought she might have been the person with insufficient faith and committed suicide.
If you could obligate God to do your will, you could manipulate Him and you would be God.
Not only do you have a free will, so does God. Don’t tell people what God is going to do. Neither fail to tell people what He can do. Our God is able.
When threatened to be thrown in the fiery furnace Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego declared “ …our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace….” Daniel 3: 17)
They did not say He would. They did acknowledge He was able even to do that.
He has the ability, being the all powerful God.
He has the wisdom to know and do what is right, being the all wise God. The choice and ability to perform what He knows to be right is His.
The question has been asked: have you ever thought what a mess the world would be in if God answered all of your prayers with an affirmative response?
If God does not when you say He will, it is you, not God who is responsible. Don’t try to manipulate God by implying He is accountable for answering your prayer because you have enough faith to say He will. That is not the only requirement for proper prayer.
There are nine reasons listed in the Bible as to why prayers are not answered and every one is on this end of the line.
God is great and God is loving regardless of our obligatory statements as to what He is going to do. Give God the time and right to be God.