We see God answer prayers throughout the Bible, rescuing people in times of trouble, healing those with afflictions, and comforting those in despair. We also see these types of prayers answered around us every day: people who are praying for cancer to be eradicated and it is, people praying for miracle pregnancies and they get pregnant, people praying for loved ones whose lives are sideways and they find their way back. It happens all around us. We see God's willingness and ability to heal and restore. However, God doesn't always answer our prayers in the ways we hope or expect. This is evident throughout the Bible as well.
In Hebrews 11, we see examples of both situations.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in the deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:32-40
The first portion of this passage lists men and women of faith who were rescued or delivered from their hardship. The second portion of the paragraph highlights those who suffered tremendously. Both groups of people were giants of the faith. Those whose prayers were answered favorably weren't more holy or spiritual or better-liked by God than those who suffered. God loved and adored each person beyond comprehension. So why did He choose to rescue some and allow hardship for others?
The fact is, we just don't know.
At the risk of over-simplifying the issue, we cannot know the mind of God. It is impossible for us to know His plan for our lives in its entirety or understand why He does the things He does. The last paragraph of the Hebrews 11 passage is important to remember: "...none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."
The fullness of the promise of God's Kingdom has yet to come. Only when Jesus returns will we experience God's perfection in this world. Until then, we have faith in the sovereignty of our loving Father who provides for us exactly what we need in His perfect time.
In the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego boldly stand firm in their faith and are thrown into a furnace for not bowing down and worshiping King Nebuchadnezzar's golden idol.
Nebuchadnezzar said to them... "But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue from my hand?" Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:14-18
(emphasis added)
Imagine these three brave men standing before the most powerful man on earth with bold defiance. With one clenched fist they say, "God can rescue us and we believe He will." In essence they are saying, "King, you think you can control this situation? You think our lives are in your hands? You think you hold our ultimate fate? You couldn't be further off. We serve a God who created the earth, who holds the stars in His hands, who set you on your throne and who will rule long after you and your empire are gone. God has this situation well in hand and is more than able to save us from your furnace." Then the second fist comes up and they say with equal confidence, "Even if He doesn't save us, we will not serve your gods." Essentially they are saying, "So great, so awesome, so worthy is our God, that even if He chooses not to save us and our bodies burn in the flame, our God is still the One we will follow. We will trust Him in life and we will trust Him in death." That is double-fisted faith!
When we have this kind of faith, we are saying to God, "Whether you choose to act or not, I will cling to you and hold on with both hands." This is the kind of faith God deserves and the kind His Holy Spirit empowers us to have no matter what our circumstances.