When God Says No Today we’re looking at one of the hardest places to live by faith: when God answers a prayer differently than you want Him to. This is what can tempt us to pull back from God. Because we put our hope in what we’re praying for instead of the One we’re praying to. Have you ever been there like I have? You bring Him something important. A relationship you want restored. A situation you need Him to fix. A fear you need Him to take away. And when He doesn't answer the way you hoped, it's easy to wonder: Does He even care? Can I really trust Him? Our faith becomes fragile when it's tied to a certain outcome instead of tied to God Himself. In Mark 14, Jesus faces the hardest night of His life. He’s about to be betrayed and then crucified and He knows it's coming. This is when He prays: "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will." (Mark 14:36 NLT) Even Jesus asked for a different outcome. He felt real anguish, yet His trust in the Father stayed steady. That’s the tension we face too. Jared and I have two babies in heaven. With one of our losses, we were told we'd lost the baby—then a week later, told she was still alive with a heartbeat. We moved from grief to hope, asking God if He would heal her. Then she passed away. Those days were a whiplash of grief and hope, and everything felt fragile. We asked for a miracle. We asked boldly. I was heartbroken when the answer was no. But my faith didn't collapse—because it wasn't built on the outcome I wanted. It was built on who God is and by the faith and grace I receive from Him. And the only reason it held at all was because God gave me the faith and grace I needed in those moments. Years later, I prayed over my mom as she battled cancer. I asked God to heal her. I asked for more time. I asked for God’s greatest grace for her (which I believe He provided.) And she went to heaven too. PART ONE