Why You Should be Thankful for Unanswered Prayers

Sometime I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you’re talking’ to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he don’t care
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. ~~ Garth Brooks

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Unanswered Prayers

I like country music!

So you may be wondering, how is she going to make Garth Brooks apply to Thanksgiving?

Well, Garth was singing about an old high school flame in his hit song. I bet we could all think back to prayers we prayed in high school and thank God now that He didn’t give us what we asked for — “God, please make so and so fall in love with me,” “help me pass this test (even though I never studied),” “help me get into this school…get this job,” “let my parents give me this car for graduation,” etc.

Who knows best? Our heavenly Father! He knows what we need. Matthew 6:8, So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

We think we know but what we need to do is trust God for His answers.

Maybe the Puritan writer said it better in The Valley of Vision, v. 77:

I thank thee that many of my prayers have been refused —
I have asked amiss and do not have,
I have prayed from lusts and been rejected,
I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness.
Go on with thy patient work
answering ‘no’ to my wrongful prayers,
and fitting me to accept it.
Purge me from every false desire,
every base aspiration,
everything contrary to thy rule.
I thank thee for thy wisdom and thy love,
for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject,
for sometimes putting me into the furnace
to refine my gold and remove my dross.

My heart is selfish and I like to get my own way. But today I’m thanking God for the times He answers my prayers with “no” and (trying) to thank Him for putting me into the furnace to be refined.

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The First Thanksgiving in Boston

This is a REALLY long story so I’ll just give you a link.

Project/Homework

• Write 5 things you’re thankful for in your journal and share them with someone.
• Thank God for some of your unanswered prayers!

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Giving Thanks,

 Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim

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