Objection: God Sometimes Withholds What We Request Because He Knows What’s Best for Us

JESUS never withheld healing from anyone who requested it for ANY reason, including supposedly knowing there was an alternative that involved staying sick that was “best” for people.  Because He is the same today (Hebrews 13:8), He will not do so today, either.

Besides, the entire premise of this objection is flawed.  The Israelites in the wilderness asked for meat even though that wasn’t God’s will for them, and He gave them meat anyway.  Later in Israel’s history, Israel asked for a king.  That was not God’s will either, and He even warned people of the consequences, but they kept asking for a king, and God gave them a king.  So there you have proof that God can answer prayers that AREN’T His will.  So be careful what you pray for!

For example, say that a friend of yours at church has just committed a crime.  You know he’s guilty, but most people think he’s innocent because they attend the same church, and surely none of the nice people at your church could ever be a criminal.  People band together with you and your friend and pray, “Lord, let justice be done in this court case!  Let the truth come out!”  The truth comes out, justice is served, and off he goes to jail.

Or suppose that a sick person just wants to die even though he’s in his fifties, and you and your friends agree for him to die.  He dies.  That wasn’t God’s best, but He would allow it.  Like Paul, we have some say in whether we hang around here longer or not and God will back our wishes even when it’s not the best outcome we could have had.

So it is downright dangerous to think, “Well, I’ll just request whatever I think I want from God, and if He isn’t good with it, He’ll just turn down my prayer request.”  Don’t count on it!  Find out what God’s best is before you pray, and pray in line with that!  When it comes to healing in particular, you don’t have to “seek God” to see if it’s His will because you can read directly from His Word that it IS His will.

Besides, it’s too late for God to ignore a healing request.  He has already GRANTED healing, paying for it by Jesus’ stripes (1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5).  There is nothing for you to request or for Him to decide.  God cannot withhold something that He has already legally credited to your heavenly account!