A PRAYER, GOD REFUSES TO ANSWER, EVEN NOW | Jones Pappen

Job 6:8 “Oh that I might have my request and that God would fulfill my hope”
This is a prayer by Job quoted in the book of Job. Job is earnestly desiring that his
request may be considered by God. He is deeply wishing that his prayer or petition gets
an ‘OK’ from God. Job’s prayer here, shows the anguish he was going through. There
was a deep pain in his words. The physical pain had penetrated deep. Now it had
started affecting his mind.
But this prayer, GOD in His Mercy, Did Not grant.
A person might bear a physical hurt, but a torture or pain in the heart or mind becomes unbearable. The scars are
indelible. The mental trauma that pain causes, if left unresolved, remains permanent and starts affecting other
areas in life, and will need therapeutical interventions.
What was Job’s prayer? He was praying for an end to his sufferings. His sufferings had reached beyond his bearable
limits, he thought. The only solution or way-out was death. Many of us, at some point in life would have had such
desires. I am not talking about self-immolation only, but the wish we make in heart sometimes, in midst of some
deep mess or pain, desiring for an end to the suffering.
In this prayer of Job, he is hoping that his suffering will come to an end if his life got ended, as he says “if it would
please God to crush me” “and cut me off”. It is very amusing to travel through Job’s thought processes. In the midst
of his deepest pain, his mind fills with thoughts of death. And that thought seems to bring great relief to him. His
Dopamin levels must have got a boost. He starts to enjoy pain, if that would result in ultimate end. We read that in
verses 10-11 of chapter 6. He says, “I would even rejoice in pain” because there’s nothing to achieve by waiting any
more. If it would result in end of his present sufferings, then Pain is welcome and he would rather exult and rejoice
in it and would not hesitate to face death. For a person who nurtures “death thoughts’, their thought processes
gives them a frame of mind where they can do acts like jumping in front of a running train or jumping from heights.
Their normal thought processes become temporarily dysfunctional, in order to achieve their objective. Such a
person is not able to think normally at that moment. It is these kinds of thought processes that God is addressing
to, when he asks Job in His opening dialogue, “who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge” (Job
38:2).
The good counsel or wisdom of God gets darkened or sidelined and gets a back seat when we seek our own
solutions by “words without knowledge” during stressful circumstances.
But God, in His deepest Mercy, did not grant Job’s heart’s desire. He still does not grant our such desires. For He has
greater plans for each of us. Ps.72:14 says He will redeem from “oppression and violence” because “their lives are
precious to Him”. The “oppression and violence” are sometimes the stress and anxiety faced, leading to depression
and trauma. But GOD will Redeem Us. When in troublesome situations or in tight spots, it is advisable to Pause. Let
not the hyper-activity in the brain lead us to go for quick solutions and fast way-out. At such times, our brain cannot
function normally. Seek help. But for the final word, the most trusted and reliable one to whom we can approach
with full assurance and confidence is our Lord Jesus, from “where our help comes”.
Shall we bring all our troubles and pains to Him, who only can bring the healing and restoration. May we get our
pains and hurts resolved instead of keeping it hidden deep inside.

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