Prayer and faith are tricky concepts that are easily misunderstood. For example, depending on how one strings together Bible verses, prayer can range from “Name it and claim it!” to “There are too many qualifications for answered prayer. I must have a terrible sin in my life. Maybe God hates me!” Yes, there are qualifications for answered prayer, the first being that one must be adopted into God’s family as a child of God (1 John 5:13–15).

In a sense, God always answers prayer. He answers either “Yes,” “Yes, but wait,” “No,” or “You’ve got to be kidding!” Seriously, even God’s silence is significant. We are impatient and want microwave answers, but God has been waiting since before Creation to supply the perfect answer to your prayers. He can wait as long as is necessary to answer in the proper time.

Whether immediately or decades later, the answer given by an all-wise, all-knowing, loving God is always the best for you. We may not see it or realize it, but it is true whether we like the answer or not.
If you are in a situation you are unhappy with—a bad marriage or no marriage, a lousy job or no job, a sick bed instead of a bed of roses, an empty bank account or a mailbox full of bills—whatever it may be, it is the best possible situation to be in at the moment.

The above statement may be difficult to swallow, but it can be backed up by Jesus’s teaching on prayer. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ weaves a few prayer pointers into his call for moral and ethical living. Along with the classic “Lord’s Prayer,” he encourages his disciples to continually ask for what they need. Practically speaking, the problem is that we don’t always know what we really need. Therefore, the Holy Spirit given to each believer prays for us (Romans 8:26). Provided our prayers are sincere and unselfish, they will be answered—but not always in the way we think is best.

Jesus gives an example of the Heavenly Father’s wisdom and parental love in the following illustration from the Sermon on the Mount.

“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9–11).

His point is that God, the Heavenly Father, will never give a counterfeit, harmful gift to His children. Even though men are inherently evil, they will give their children good things when asked. They will not deceive them and cause them harm. Even if a child asks for something they think is good but is dangerous, a good parent will substitute something nourishing or beneficial (Just ask the child who asks for candy for dinner and gets vegetables!). Perhaps the parent will delay the gift until the proper time (Hey Dad, can I have my own car?”). How much more will the perfect Father supply what is good at the proper time?

Your current circumstance may seem like you’re eating a stone or being attacked by a serpent. Perhaps you’ve asked for something different, some form of release or change. For reasons often unknown or unappreciated by us, what the Father has given for now is the most beneficial gift that should nourish our soul. Anything else would be detrimental to our spiritual health. Follow the example of Job: “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).

God is not trying to perplex you; he is trying to perfect you!