My dear, it is well with you. I am especially glad that you felt comfortable enough to express yourself as you have done so. I'm sure that what you're saying is something that many people have felt inside of themselves and may not have had the words or even the courage to fully express it as you have. So thank you. And I can deeply empathize with the feeling, you know. I'm just remembering some times when my body was just, you know, and I'm like, God, take this away from me, you know. But it's good to say this. And it's good for us to know this.

The word prayer, when translated literally from the Greek language or even any language, including English, is actually a legal word, right? The word pray means to make a petition, to make a request to a judge. And you see, that's so important to define. Prayer is a request, not a command. Are you following me? And the person we're presenting a request to has the sovereign power to grant or deny the request. And that's something that really has to sink into our hearts first and foremost: that God is someone we petition; God is someone we come to in humility to make a request. God is not someone we order around. Are you understanding me?

And if it's really a request, there has to be that place in our minds that there's a possibility that what I'm asking might not be granted. Even Paul, one of the greatest apostles in the whole Bible, a time came where he prayed to God three times for a particular thing to be taken away from him, and God refused. Are you following me? Thank God that, I don't know, Paul and God had a deep enough relationship for God to give him a reason why he didn't take it away. And he said, "Lest you'll be exalted beyond measure because of the abundance of revelation that has been given to you." So Paul prayed, and God did not answer his prayer. Or better said, God did not affirm his request because the answer that God gave to Paul was no. Are you following me?

And I think that needs to set in first: that God can tell me no. You know, I know it might be annoying to hear this. God can tell me no. He's God; I'm not God. God can tell me no. It doesn't mean my prayer was bad. It doesn't mean that he's deaf. It doesn't mean something is wrong with me. It just means that God can tell me no.

There are many reasons. I mean, for example, if I just try to speak carnally, right? Let me talk about sickness, for example. Sickness happens for so many reasons: Maybe the body is fatigued; we do not, you know, nourish ourselves properly; we do not get proper rest.

And based on the technology that is our body, when certain things are not done, there are only natural outcomes that can happen, right? And those outcomes—one of the reasons why God put those things in place—are to teach us how to be intentional about caring for our body, right? The body needs the right food. It needs rest. It needs adequate exercise. I'm not saying that's your case. I'm just giving a general example of how things can be, right? So we make a petition to God. We make a petition in faith. If it is in his will, desire, and time for us, he will do it. If it's not, he won't. It doesn't make God bad. It doesn't make us bad.

And we as Christians, you know, I'll speak freely. Sometimes we can be spoiled, you know, just like a little child that will come to the mommy in the supermarket and say, "Why can't you buy this box of chewing gum for me? I asked for it. Why don't I have it?" And they'll throw tantrums in the supermarket. And sometimes we have that attitude towards the Lord. And we say, "Well, I was bold enough to come to you." And we think just because I'm bold enough to come to God and I'm bold enough to trust someone that I should have, then all of a sudden I'm entitled to him granting anything I ask. Not so. Are you following me? Not so. God is sovereign. Are you following me? God is sovereign.

Again, I'm not speaking about a particular situation. I don't know a particular situation. All I know is what you said—that you prayed and God didn't answer. I'm here to tell you that God doesn't answer every prayer. You understand? Even James talked about how there are some types of prayer that we pray from our lust. I'm not saying that's you. I'm just giving you different scriptural understandings and references to how it's not every prayer that God answers, right? Praise the Lord.

It doesn't mean you did a bad thing. It doesn't mean it was foolish of you to pray when you were ill. I've had a time when I was ill, I prayed, and I felt better. I've had times when I was ill, I prayed, and I didn't get better. There was a particular time when I felt ill, and I didn't bother praying because I knew that I felt ill because I did not treat my body well. That's just a basic example, right? If you eat something that is bad, that is unhealthy, there will be some disturbance in the body. It's just the body's way of naturally flushing out toxins; it doesn't mean a very bad thing is happening.

Are you following me? I'm not saying that's your case; I'm just trying to paint a very general picture. God is sovereign, my dear, and the fact that God said no to you doesn't mean it's wrong to place petitions before him. It doesn't mean you should lose your faith.

There's a man I'm reminded of by the Holy Spirit called Todd White. Todd White is a preacher in the United States who is known for miraculous healing. Todd White prayed for 960+ people before he saw the first healing take place. 960 times, and God told him it took 960 times for you to get to that realm of faith where I could walk with you constantly and consistently, and sometimes that's some people's work.

Some other people'll just pray once and things will happen. God is sovereign, and he has his reasons for doing things, and there's a part of us that has to be humble enough to acknowledge and sometimes accept that my life is in the hands of God because life is not in my hands.

And I pray for you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that whatever infirmity that you might be facing, the hand of God's healing come upon you, and you are set free in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Life enters your body and vitality, and you rise up in strength and power in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen, amen, and amen. It is well with you. God bless you.