When my children were growing up, I said “yes” to their requests as often as possible. But, they would occasionally ask for something I didn’t give them. There might be any number of reasons why they didn’t get what they desired. Sometimes they weren’t old enough, like when one asked for a teen-rated video game at age 12. Other times, their request was not reasonable, such as when my daughter begged to raise a pony in the city. At still other times, what they asked for was not good for them, like when my then-toddler screamed because I wouldn’t let her eat the “candy” cold medicine tablets she saw on the counter. Occasionally, I would say “no” because they had misbehaved. Then again, there were also times that I said “no” to their requests because I knew something better was in store for them, like when I denied their pleas to play in the sprinkler because I was loading the car to head to a water park.

Regardless, I answered when my kids asked, even if they didn’t like the answer. Depending on the circumstances, I might say “yes” or “no,” but I also occasionally said, “wait a while.” Strangely, many times they only seemed to hear my answer when I said “yes.”

God answers our prayers, too, with either a “yes,” “no,” or “wait a while.” His answer depends on the circumstances, and He knows what’s best for us. Do we refuse to hear if His answer isn’t “yes”?