Jesus was a huge proponent of prayer. He preached it often, and practiced it at least as often as he preached it... because if a person could speak to God himself... why wouldn't they?
Among his most famous teachings is this:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:7-11)
An increasing number of people seem to trivialize and/or cast down on the practice of prayer. Many of them do so because their prayers may seem to go unanswered. Many well-meaning Christians respond to these criticisms by saying that God answers all prayers in one of three ways: yes, no, or not now.
It is easy to find examples that seem to demonstrate these responses. A person that has a terrible illness may pray for healing, but remain sick for quite some time. The lives of innocent people are not always spared even when fervent prayers are offered petitioning God for their deliverance. In other circumstances, sincere prayer leads to miraculous manifestations of God's power such as when Gideon sought confirmation in his struggle with the Midianites. (Judges 6)
Of course, opponents of prayer suggest that any outcome could be identified as an answer to prayer if the possible answers are yes, no, or not now. As an example, a person prays to the flying spaghetti monster for success with a work project. If they are successful, they could say that the flying spaghetti monster answered their prayer with a yes. If they are unsuccessful, they could say that the flying spaghetti monster answered their prayer with a no, or a not now. Therefore, the results of prayer are not indicative of the existence of God any more than they are indicative of the existence of the flying spaghetti monster.
I suggest that well-meaning believers are being inaccurate when they suggest that the possible answers to prayer are yes, no, or not now. After all, if these were possible answers to prayer, then wouldn't Jesus have said this:
Ask, and it shall be given you... or it shall not be given you... or it shall be given you, just not now.
Seek, and ye shall find... or shall not find... or shall find later.
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you... or you shall be turned away... or you shall be made to wait outside for a while.
Why did Jesus specifically talk about our Heavenly Father giving good things to them that ask him if that might not be the case? I suppose that most Christians intuitively understand why this is the case, but find difficulty in expressing it.
I suggest that Jesus was being quite literal when he said "every one that asketh receiveth."
Of course, this thinking may seem to ignore situations where people ask God for good things and do not seem to receive them. I am currently in a ward where several individuals struggle with hearing talks on Mother's Day because they are unable to have children. Certainly if God is as pleased with dedicated mothers as we say he is on Mother's Day, why wouldn't he immediately answer the fervent and frequent prayers of those that long for the opportunity to bear children. It can be especially frustrating when others who are unprepared or do not desire or appreciate children seem to be extremely fertile.
There are numerous other circumstances where victims of accidents, injuries, illnesses are the subject of prayers requesting their health, strength, and protection. Reconciling these actual events with the teachings of Christ regarding prayer may seem impossible... and some use this apparent discrepancy to accuse God of being an absent or uncaring father.
The position that God answers all prayers requires clarification regarding the apparent "no" and "not now" responses that are commonly offered.
First, there is no need to differentiate between "yes" and "not now". Consider the following allegory:
A man needs to borrow a large sum of money. He goes to a wealthy friend and asks him for help. The friend explains that he will move the requested money out of his savings so that it can be accessed. In response, the man seeking the money says "never mind... since you can't give me the money right now, you must not have it..." and runs off in frustration.
Relatively speaking, the amount of time in the average human life is very brief. A person that must wait all their life in order to receive a requested blessing may endure difficulty as they wait, but more frequently than not, they will eventually receive what they request. It is also important to note that God is not limited in granting requests. The desire to be healthy, to find a spouse, to have children, or other righteous desires will always be answered with a yes.
That these things may not happen today, this week, this month, or even during mortality does not mean God is saying "no." Consider that Martha thought that it was too late for Lazarus to be restored to health when he died. Sarah thought she was too old to bear Isaac. Believing that because these things may not happen immediately that they will not ever happen is to be as the man who ran away from his wealthy friend because he did not have a briefcase filled with cash waiting for him.
Second, it is important to understand what a "no" response actually means. Consider the following allegory:
A heavy man owned a large vault filled with Twinkies. The man decided that in order to become more healthy, he would lock his vault and give the key to a trusted friend. In approaching the friend, he said, "No matter what, do not give the key to this vault to me." The friend agreed. The man, seeking to impress the importance of the request said, "Now I may come and ask you for the key at a time of weakness, but you must not give it to me..." The friend agreed to perform the service and hid the key as requested.
The following week, the heavy man greeted his friend and then requested that he return the key to him. The friend refused, as per their arrangement. The man grew angry and demanded he return the key to him immediately. The friend again refused, and cited the terms of their agreement. The heavy man shouted that he did not remember making such an agreement, and that if he cared for their friendship, he would relinquish the key immediately. The friend replied, "I cannot do as you ask me now without denying what you asked me before... and I suspect that deep down, you may want me to honor the first request more."
Fundamental to Christianity is the concept that we are children of God. This is not a figurative relationship, or a concept to express the concern that God has for us; we literally lived with God before we were born. The creation of the earth and the scenario of mortality in which we find ourselves is not an accident. It is all a part of a carefully executed plan that was designed from before the foundation of the world. The purpose of life is to honor our request that we become heirs of the kingdom of God. This type of exaltation is not something that can easily be accomplished. At times, it may require enduring terrible pain, overcoming powerful temptations, accepting humbling circumstances, and developing care and concern for our brothers and sisters as they go through trials.
During times of difficulties, it might seem like life would be a lot better if we could only metaphorically devour a vault of Twinkies. It might seem cruel that God seems to deny requests for things that we believe would make us happier, especially when no explanation is readily available. After all, if he is our Father, would he not at least speak to us and explain himself?
Of course, on the other hand, if each human being requested the opportunity to go through the difficulties of mortality in order to "become the sons of God" (John 1:12), then there is a high probability that many requests made to God are conflicting requests. He may not be able to give some things to a person without denying them something from their previous arrangement.
Every person who ever has, does now, or ever will live requested to be a part of the plan of our Heavenly Father. Though none of us now remember making it, each of us has this previous arrangement.
In other words, "no" is never really the answer to prayer. A more accurate answer would be "I cannot do as you ask me now without denying what you asked me before... and I suspect that deep down, you may want me to honor the first request more."
The idea behind making prayer effective is to understand for what a person ought to ask. The fewer conflicting requests that occur in prayer, the easier it is to see the power of God manifested. While it is true that some petitions will not be immediately resolved, a discerning eye will see with remarkable frequency that many requests will be swiftly and even miraculously answered. With the appropriate perspective it will become increasingly clear that "every one that asketh receiveth."
