How God Answers Prayer Mark 5:1-20

God Answers in Different Ways A difference in granting a specific petition and granting our desire.

Petition Granted/Desire Denied Psalm 106:15 “And he gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” Numbers 11 - Petition for meat instead of manna

Numbers 11:31,32 “Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.”

Petition Granted/Desire Denied Psalm 106:15 “And he gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul.” Numbers 11 - Petition for meat instead of manna. 1 Samuel 8:4,5 - Israel’s request for a king.

How God Answers Prayer Petition granted/Desire denied Petition denied/Desire fulfilled –Abraham’s desire for an heir

Genesis 17:18,19 “And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!” 19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”

Petition denied/Desire fulfilled Abraham’s desire for an heir Abraham’s request for Sodom Paul’s request for removal of his “thorn in the flesh”

2 Cor. 12:7-8 “And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me…

9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

How God Answers Prayer Petition granted/Desire denied Petition denied/Desire fulfilled Petition granted/Desire fulfilled

Elijah at Mt. Carmel 1 Kings 18:37,38 “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that Thou, O Lord, art God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”

Petition granted/Desire fulfilled Elijah at Mt. Carmel The thief on the cross Luke 23:42 - “And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

How God Answers Prayer Petition granted/Desire denied Petition denied/Desire fulfilled Petition granted/Desire fulfilled Petition denied/Desire denied