Read: After the Answer (Dr. Roels)

Introduction

All of us are grateful when God answers our fervent prayers. Those answers encourage us and bless us and assure us that our God is truly loving and powerful and gracious. But if we do not stay spiritually alert, those same answers can result in some significant new problems or temptations for us.

That may sound strange, but it's true. After God grants us a great blessing in answer to our prayers, we may assume that all our major problems and concerns are now behind us. After we win a great victory over temptation, we may feel that we will no longer be overcome by any of our weaknesses. After we reach some new spiritual heights, we may feel confident that we will never slip back again. After we receive something we earnestly prayed for, we may feel that we will never again be in need. And as a result of all these blessings, we may begin to focus too much on the past while neglecting or minimizing the new challenges and temptations of the present.

It's good to remember God's answers of yesterday, but those answers are not sufficient for today's needs--no matter how wonderful those answers may have been. Today will have challenges and needs and cares of its own. Though we are grateful when we remember what God did in the past, we must never forget that we need Him again today as much as we ever did.

Christian living is not a matter of achieving a few big victories in answer to prayer. It involves a daily, faithful walk with God until the last step of life is taken and the last obstacle is overcome. In sports terms, it's more like a hurdle race with its continuous challenges than a pole vault with its challenge to reach a wonderful new high. Or, to use another example, it's more like a long, demanding marathon rather than a brief, exhilarating sprint.

Thankfully, many believers realize this and live and pray accordingly. But not everyone does. Even some of the greatest people in the Bible failed to trust or obey the Lord at one time or another. Many began exceptionally well but failed miserably before they reached the end of their journey. And many of their failures came after some wonderful answers to their prayers.

In this Lesson we will consider ten possible dangers or challenges that may arise AFTER God has graciously answered our prayers. Each one of those dangers will be illustrated by a specific story in the Bible.

1. The Danger of Pride: The Story of King Hezekiah (Isaiah 37-39)

Hezekiah was one of the best kings that the Kingdom of Judah ever had. He was truly a man of God who knew and loved the Lord. He turned the people of Judah back to the ways of God after his own wicked father, Ahaz, had led the people away from God (2 Chronicles 28:24-27; 29:1-11).

Hezekiah experienced many answers to prayer, but there were some exceptional answers at two critical times in his life. One of them involved the people of Judah, the city of Jerusalem, and the Temple of Solomon.

While Hezekiah was serving as king over Judah, the Assyrians were the most powerful nation on earth. They had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and were now intent on capturing Jerusalem and taking the people of Judah captive (2 Chronicles 32:1). Hezekiah knew that in his own strength he was no match for the powerful Assyrian king. If God didn't intervene, the people would surely be defeated and the city would be destroyed.

So what did Hezekiah do? He went up to the temple of the Lord and prayed. He prayed very earnestly that the Lord would rescue and deliver His people for His own honor and glory (Isaiah 37:14-20). And because Hezekiah prayed as he did (Isaiah 37:21), God miraculously answered his prayer by killing 185,000 Assyrian soldiers during the night, thereby saving His people from death and saving Jerusalem from destruction (Isaiah 37:33-37).

A second miraculous answer to Hezekiah's prayers is described in Isaiah 38. At that time Hezekiah himself was ill--deathly ill. In fact, God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that he was going to die (Isaiah 38:1-2). But Hezekiah poured out his heart in fervent prayer to God and begged Him to spare his life (Isaiah 38:2-3). God answered that prayer in a truly miraculous way. Not only was Hezekiah restored to health, but God also assured him that he would live at least fifteen more years (Isaiah 38:4-6).

By this time Hezekiah was in an exceptionally comfortable position. His enemies were destroyed, his kingdom was secure, the Temple was preserved, and Hezekiah himself was healthy, rich and assured of at least fifteen more years of life (2 Chronicles 32:27-29).

So what did he do?

He became proud instead of humble. He focused on himself instead of focusing on God. He became wealthy in material things but became poor spiritually. He missed altogether the opportunity of bringing glory and praise to God when foreign dignitaries asked about the things that had happened to him (2 Chronicles 32:31; Isaiah 39). God's wonderful answers to Hezekiah's prayers had left him proud and over-confident. Though he thought he was strong, he had become weak. Though he felt invincible, he had become vulnerable. He had honored God in his time of weakness (2 Chronicles 32:7-8), but he dishonored Him in his time of victory (2 Chronicles 32:25).

Hezekiah later repented of his pride, and the Lord forgave him. But the Lord also punished Hezekiah for his sin. (See 2 Chronicles 32:24-25, 31; Isaiah 39:5-7.)

Hezekiah's biggest problem was not the power of the king of Assyria or his own serious illness. God could easily take care of both of those problems--and He did. Hezekiah's biggest problem was his own pride after God graciously answered his prayers. And when he faced that problem, he neglected to pray--and his fall was great.

God graciously answers our prayers so that we can glorify Him and not ourselves.

2. The Danger of Self-Pity: The Story of Elijah (1 Kings 17-19)

The prophet Elijah was one of the greatest and most important people in the entire Old Testament. He was the only person (besides Enoch) who was taken to heaven without dying (2 Kings 2:11). He was also one of two Old Testament people who were present at Jesus' transfiguration on the mountain in Israel (Matthew 17:1-3). And Elijah is cited in the New Testament as one of the greatest examples of the power of prayer in the entire Old Testament (James 5:17-18).

Elijah experienced one miracle after another in his life. He was fed by divinely-guided ravens, he lived for months with a widow and her son on just a little oil and a little flour, he brought back to life a child who had died, he dried up the heavens for three and a half years, and later he prayed for rain and brought down a flood of waters on the earth. On Mt. Carmel he experienced the greatest victory of his entire life over the pagan god Baal and 450 of his prophets. After God miraculously answered his prayer for fire to consume the sacrifice he had prepared, Elijah confidently called the people of Israel back to the worship of the one true God. (See 1 Kings 17 and 18.)

But it was only one day after this tremendous victory on Mt. Carmel that Elijah was brought to his knees--not in prayer, but in defeat. When the wicked queen Jezebel threatened to kill him, Elijah did not turn to the God who had demonstrated his great power on the mountain. Rather, he ran away and asked God to take away his life rather than rescue and protect it (1 Kings 19:1-5).

In his tiredness and in his weakness, Elijah focused on himself rather than on God. He focused on his own weakness rather than on God's power. He just did not want to fight the Lord's battles anymore. He felt extremely sorry for himself and simply gave up.

God was still very gracious to Elijah, giving him food and drink and protection when he didn't even ask for it (I Kings 19:5-9). But God also had to confront him about his greatest failure which came right after his greatest victory (1 Kings 19:9-18).

When you face opposition in your service for God, look to Him with expectation rather than looking inward in despair.

3. The Danger of Forgetfulness: The Story of Solomon (2 Kings 3, 8-11)

Shortly after Solomon became king over God's people, God promised to give him whatever he asked. Solomon humbly asked God for wisdom so that he could rule God's people wisely. In response, God not only gave Solomon exceptional wisdom, He also gave him exceptional riches. There was no one in the entire Old Testament who was as rich or as wise as King Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-15).

Solomon also had the special privilege of building a Temple for the Lord--something that not even King David was permitted to do (1 Kings 5-8). At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon offered a beautiful, solemn, humble prayer to Almighty God, and God responded with the promise of wonderful blessings (1 Kings 8:22-61 and 9:1-9).

Few people in the Old Testament were favored as highly as Solomon was. He had unprecedented knowledge, exceptional wisdom, uncountable riches and was faithful in his walk with God. He had everything his mind or his heart or his eyes desired (see Ecclesiastes 2:1-10). He wrote poems and proverbs and wise sayings which were recorded in the sacred Scriptures. People came from all over the world to hear about his wisdom and to feast their eyes on his wealth. All who came to see him were amazed. Many, like the Queen of Sheba, returned to their homes after visiting Solomon and were convinced that "the half had not been told them” (1 Kings 4:29-34; 10:1-29).

But when Solomon grew older, he seemed to forget all these things. He forgot that everything he had was a blessing from God. He forgot that God alone was entitled to receive the honor and glory for the blessings he had received and the things he had done. He seemingly forgot the things which his earthly father had taught him and which his heavenly Father had emphasized. He listened to his wives whom he should not have married and appeared to forget his God who had blessed him so richly. He went so far as to build high places for the worship of the pagan gods of his wives and even began to worship and honor them himself.

His fall from the heights of blessing to the depths of unfaithfulness was one of the steepest and saddest falls in all of Scripture (1 Kings 11:1-11). Solomon may have eventually returned to the Lord and remembered all the things he had seemingly forgotten, but his fall was incredibly costly.

God wants us to serve Him our entire life, not just during part of our life.

4. The Danger of False Security: The Story of Josiah (2 Kings 22 and 23)

Josiah was one of the last kings of Judah. He began ruling when he was only eight years old. Because he had God-fearing advisors, Josiah grew up as an obedient young man who loved and served God with all his heart. The Bible describes him with these impressive words: "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. . . . Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.” (2 Kings 22:1-2; 2 Kings 23:25)

Josiah was truly an amazing king. He had a wonderful upbringing and was one of the very best kings that the people of Judah ever had. He received God's protection, he enjoyed God's provisions, and he experienced God's grace over and over again throughout his life. He was a man of integrity, sensitive to the commands and teachings of the Lord. The Bible describes him as a person whose heart was tender and who was truly humble before the Lord. He was genuinely serious about doing the will of God and wept because of the sins and disobedience of his people. He was a man of God and also a man of prayer. (See 2 Chronicles 34:1-33; 35:1-19.)

But when Josiah became older (though still only in his thirties), he made a very significant decision that was contrary to God's commands. Josiah thought he was secure enough to decide for himself what was right and best. But he was wrong. His disobedience and pride led him to get involved in a battle which God did not want him to fight.

As a result, he was shot by the arrows of one of the enemy archers and was taken away from the battlefield. Within a short time he died. He was only thirty-nine years old! Though he had lived all his life from early childhood as a God-fearing person, his promising career was brought to a sad and sudden end because of one major act of disobedience. Read the story in 2 Chronicles 35:20-24.

If we obey God MOST of the time, that does not give us the right to disobey Him SOME of the time.

5. The Danger of Being Too Comfortable: The Story of David (2 Samuel 11)

David was probably the best known of all the kings of the Old Testament. David was especially blessed by God who gave him wonderful promises concerning his children and his future. God also gave David victories over all his enemies, so that his kingdom extended far and wide. When David was walking with the Lord, he was unbeatable. No one could defeat him or destroy him.

David also wrote many of the Psalms found in the Bible. He was an outstanding example of prayerfulness and godliness. He is referred to over and over again in both the Old and New Testaments in positive terms. He was even called "a man after God's own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22.) There were few people in the Bible who were as important or as significant as David was.

But one day after David had won great victories over his enemies, he decided that his army was strong enough to fight a major battle without him. He stayed home and started looking around his neighborhood from his flat rooftop. While relaxed and comfortable, he saw a beautiful woman bathing outside in her backyard. A lustful desire arose in David's heart to take her to his bed. And he did--even though she was married to one of David's most valuable and courageous soldiers. David had faced many dangers from powerful enemies over the years and had won great victories. But now, he faced a different kind of enemy and he was not able to win the battle.

God had always answered David's prayers for victory. But those victories left David too comfortable, too confident, and too complacent. When he faced a powerful temptation, he was not morally or spiritually prepared to fight this new battle--and he lost. God forgave David for what he had done, but the consequences of his failure were severe and lasted for the rest of his life (2 Samuel 12:11-14).

There are no furloughs in the battle against sin.

6. The Danger of Jealousy: The Story of Miriam (Numbers 12:1-15)

Miriam was the older sister of Moses. She had helped to take care of Moses when he was a baby and seemed to have a special relationship with him. When the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, Miriam took her tambourine, and all the women followed her and joined her in a song of victory and thanksgiving to the Lord (Exodus 15:20-21). Miriam was clearly a leader among the women in Israel.

Later, however, Miriam became jealous of the power and position of her brother Moses. Though she definitely was a woman of prayer and praise, she began to desire more power and praise for herself. So she and her brother Aaron challenged Moses' position of leadership. In doing so, Miriam was actually challenging and dishonoring the Lord who had appointed Moses to this position.

Though she was a woman of prayer, her increasing importance led her to want something that God had chosen not to give her.

Because of her jealousy and pride and her desire for greater honor and recognition, Miriam was stricken with leprosy. Miriam was not healed until Moses prayed for her. God then restored her to health again.

When God answers our prayers for wisdom, victory, and success, it is extremely important not to look with jealousy at others who may have even more wisdom, more victories, and greater success than we do.

It doesn't mean very much to God when we praise and thank Him for using us, if we are jealous of people whom God is using even more.

7. The Danger of Impatience: The Story of Abraham (Genesis 16:1-4)

God promised Abraham that He would make him into a great nation and that all the nations of the world would someday be blessed through him and his descendants (Genesis 12: 1-3 and Genesis 17:1-8). This was one of the greatest promises God had given to anyone! Abraham was a man of prayer who walked with God and was very confident that God would do everything He had said He would do. However, in order for the promise to be fulfilled, Abraham and his wife Sarah would obviously have to have descendants. But after being married for many years, they still didn't have even one child!

So, after waiting for almost twenty-five years to have a child of their own, both Abraham and Sarah felt that they had waited long enough! Though they believed that God would fulfill the promise He had given to them, they decided that THEY would have to do something special to make sure the promise would be fulfilled. So Sarah decided to give her servant girl Hagar to Abraham so that they could have a child together. Soon Hagar became pregnant and later gave birth to a son whom she called Ishmael (which means "God hears”).

However, it most definitely was not God's plan for Abraham to have a child by Hagar! God had promised to give a son to Abraham and Sarah, not to Abraham and Hagar. Eventually, when Sarah and Abraham were both very old and beyond normal child-bearing age, God did give them a son who was named Isaac (Genesis 17:15-21). God fulfilled His promise in a wonderful and even miraculous way (Romans 4:18-21) and He answered the prayers of Abraham and Sarah in a most unexpected way. However, Abraham's faith temporarily gave place to uncertainty and led him to do things his own way rather than God's way.

As it turned out, Ishmael and his descendants became a source of much turmoil and trouble for Isaac and his descendants (Genesis 16:11-12; 21:8-14; 25:17-18). Those problems continue even today with the strained relationship in many parts of the world between Arabs (descendants of Ishmael) and Jews (descendants of Isaac).

Abraham was truly a man of exceptional faith, and God answered Abraham's prayers in many wonderful ways. However, in one major area, Abraham's impatience led him to make a decision which went contrary to God's will and resulted in thousands of years of turmoil and strife.

When God gives you a definite promise, do not become impatient and take matters into your own hands. Wait for God's perfect timing!

8. The Danger of Self-Importance: The Story of Moses (Numbers 20:2-13)

Moses was a man of tremendous courage and exceptional patience. Over and over again the people of Israel grumbled and complained to Moses about their dreadful circumstances in the desert. And over and over again Moses cried out to God in behalf of these ungrateful and impatient people.

God graciously responded to Moses' prayers by mercifully sparing the lives of the Israelites, providing them with food and water in the desert, and even keeping their clothes from wearing out (Deuteronomy 29:5).

On one occasion God provided pure drinking water for the people in the desert by telling Moses to strike a rock with the staff which he had earlier used to strike the Nile River back in Egypt. When, in faith, Moses did as God commanded, water flowed from that rock to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of people (Exodus 17:5-6).

Later, when a similar need arose for drinking water, Moses was told to speak to a rock to provide the needed water for the people. But by now this patient man was extremely frustrated with the people and acted foolishly--and sinfully. He said to the people, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff and water gushed out of the rock so the entire community, along with their cattle, could drink the precious water which God had miraculously provided (Numbers 20:9-11).

By doing what he did and saying what he said ("Shall we bring water for you out of this rock”), Moses not only disobeyed the direct command of God, but he also seemed to take undue credit for himself and failed to honor the Lord. The Lord looked upon Moses' action as something which dishonored Himself and His holiness in the presence of His people.

Because of this single act, Moses brought down a severe judgment on himself. God declared that Moses would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. Even though Moses had led the people with prayer and patience for nearly 40 years, he forfeited the privilege of leading them into the land that God had promised to His people (Numbers 20:12).

It's not totally clear just why God punished Moses so severely. God still loved him and blessed him and honored him, but He also found it necessary to punish him. Perhaps, after all the years of answers to Moses' prayers, the people were beginning to look to Moses as the person who was necessary for their success. Moses himself might have begun to feel that way, too. God therefore showed both Moses and the people that HE, not Moses, was their protector and provider. HE would lead them into the Promised Land in whatever way He chose. Moses was not indispensable to their well-being. Only GOD was!

If God chooses to use you and make you a blessing to many others, and if He answers many of your prayers in wonderful ways, do not take to yourself the honor and glory that belongs to God alone. And do not consider yourself to be more important than you really are.

9. The Danger of Rash Vows: The Story of Jephthah (Judges 11)

Jephthah served as a judge in Israel before Israel was ruled by kings. In those days, a judge was not someone who sat in a court room hearing legal cases but someone who provided the people with leadership. Most of the time the judge was a military person who provided the Israelites with victory over their enemies, though some of the judges provided leadership in other ways as well.

Before he became a judge, Jephthah was not very popular in Israel because his mother was a prostitute and, as he got older, he became involved with a group of people who didn't have a very good reputation (Judges 11:1-3, 7). Later, however, when Jephthah turned out to be a strong military commander, the leaders in Israel invited him to lead their army in a major battle against their enemies. Jephthah first objected but later agreed. Then "the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah” (Judges 11:29) and within a fairly short time he was able to provide the people of Israel with a great victory (Judges 11: 32-33).

Before he went into battle Jephthah had prayed to the Lord for a victory. "[He] made a vow to the Lord and said, 'If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering'” (Judges 11:30-31). God graciously answered Jephthah's prayer for victory, but when he returned home, he was dismayed to find that the first one who came out to meet him was his precious daughter (Judges 11:34-35).

We're not sure just what happened to this daughter, but in one way or another, Jephthah did keep his vow. But it was clearly a vow made foolishly and in haste. His prayer was answered as he had requested, but the consequences of his vow were much different than he had expected. Instead of leading to joy and gladness and celebration, his answered prayer led to great unhappiness and deep sorrow.

Do not make a vow to do something when God answers your prayer if you are not sure that it will lead to something that is truly good.

10. The Danger of Idolatry: The Story of Gideon (Judges 6-8)

Gideon became a judge at a time when the Midianite people were oppressing Israel. Things were extremely difficult for Israel, and God's people were suffering greatly (Judges 6:1-6). So God raised up Gideon, a humble and relatively insignificant person (Judges 6:15), to deliver His people and give them a great victory.

When Gideon prayed for confirmation that God was really calling him to fight against the Midianites, God gave Gideon some miraculous answers (Judges 6:36-40). Later He used Gideon and just three hundred soldiers to win a mighty victory over a huge foreign army (Judges 7). Gideon had no doubts that God had called him and equipped him and empowered him to win a great battle for His people. Gideon had become a living answer to many prayers.

However, in spite of God's miraculous and wonderful answers to his prayers, Gideon acted very foolishly in his later years. He received much gold from the people of Israel and made it into some kind of ephod which the people began to worship. According to Judges 8:27, the ephod "became a snare to Gideon and to his family.”

In many ways Gideon was a faithful, God-fearing man of prayer, but he foolishly and thoughtlessly led the people into a form of idolatry. It's not really surprising, therefore, to learn that "As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side” (Judges 8:33-34).

When we read this story, we wonder how Gideon could receive such mighty and wonderful answers to prayer and end up doing such a foolish and sinful thing that led people away from the true worship of God! Today we may not be in danger of making an "idol” of gold as Gideon did. But there may be other things or desires or activities which begin to become the major focus of our lives. And when that happens, we, like Gideon, forget our first love (Revelation 2:4-5) and put something else in place of God.

Once again, therefore, we are warned: Do not to focus too much on past victories in answer to your prayers. Do not forget those victories! But do not dwell on them so much that God's answers to yesterday's needs become the primary focus of your spiritual life. No matter how many miracles you may have experienced in the past, yesterday's grace is neither intended nor sufficient for today's needs. Yesterday's problems may have been even greater than those of today, but you still need fresh grace to meet the challenges and needs of each new day. Today calls for the same faith, the same patient, quiet trust in God, and the same commitment to earnest prayer as any time in the past.

Do not let yesterday's wonderful answers leave you vulnerable to the dangers of today.