Let me make one thing clear. Garth Brooks was wrong. There are no “unanswered prayers” and they certainly are not some of God’s greatest gifts. I have believed this ever since Garth’s hit song, “Unanswered Prayers” debuted in 1990 and quickly climbed the charts to No. 1. The concept makes for a great, catchy country song, but it’s not exactly biblical.

Why? Because God answers prayers. All throughout the Bible, there are examples of God’s people crying out to Him and Him answering them. He listens. He hears. He does. He answers.

He doesn’t ignore.

There are many viewpoints on how/if God answers prayers, and other than the first option, all of them adhere to the truth that God answers prayers. As you read the four possibilities below, consider which viewpoint has fueled your own prayer life.

Yes / Unanswered

Some people believe that the only acceptable answer is YES, and that if they have not received a YES from God, then that prayer is “unanswered” (like the song).

Yes / No

Others believe that if you don’t receive a Yes, then you’ve gotten your answer and that answer is No. Black or white. It’s as simple as that.

Yes / No / Wait

Some take the black and white, Yes/No philosophy one step further and allow a little gray. Perhaps God will answer your prayer in the affirmative eventually, but for now the answer is simply Wait. This is what I believed for a long time, which was awesome because waiting is one of my favorite things [insert sarcasm here].

In my opinion, all of these beliefs on prayer are lacking because they imply a sense of dread to prayer. In each of these scenarios, you assume the risk of getting an unfavorable response. “Well, it’s a 50% chance, at best, that this prayer is going to turn out well,” you may think, “but here it goes anyway.” And then you pray and cross your fingers that God is in a Yes mood.

Take off your spiritual Sunday school smirk and consider, have you ever felt this way? I know I have and sometimes it has made me think twice before praying. I know that God is not a genie in a bottle. I know that He is not out to grant all of my requests or make my greatest dreams come true. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m ready for a No or even a Wait.

I need Hope when I pray.

So is there another way to view God’s answers to prayer that allows for those non-yes answers without stripping away Hope? Could it be that such a point-of-view exists that doesn’t teeter into name-it-and-claim-it theology? Oh yes, I believe there is. God does, indeed, have two answers to prayers, but they’re not Yes and No like you may think. Instead, they’re:

Yes / I have something better in mind

How much more would you pray if you weren’t afraid of a No or a Wait? How much more would you pray if you truly believed that if God didn’t answer Yes, it was only because He had something better in mind? Would your time on your knees be more exciting? Would your faith grow? Would you rush to the throne room instead of loiter in the lobby?

Sweet friend, this is how God answers prayers. When it’s not yes, it’s only because He, in His infinite wisdom and sovereignty, has something much, much better in mind.

God: “I hear that you’re praying for your marriage to be restored, but the truth is, you have some pretty serious sin in your own life that we haven’t talked about yet. So, I have something better in mind. First, let’s deal with you and your heart, then, when it’s time to talk about your marriage, you’ll be ready.”

God: “I hear you praying for your child to be healed. I understand. I have a son too. But here’s the thing. There are a lot of other people in hospitals who either work there or visit with sick children of their own, and they desperately need to see faith in action. So I have something better in mind. I’m not going to heal your child in the way that you’re asking. Instead, I’m going to use him to bring people to me. And as a bonus, you’re going to grow leaps and bounds because of all the time we’ll spend together over the next few years.”

God: “I know you want a job. I hear how badly you want to take care of your family. That is honorable, for sure. But I have something better in mind. I’m going to keep you unemployed for several months, and it’s going to feel long and uncomfortable. But I see this as a chance to grow a few relationships with some of the people in your family and your church and I want to bless you with things you’ve never asked for before. I’ll give you a job in time, but this period of waiting will allow me to bless you with the gifts of friendships and empathy as well.”

God: “I know that you want to get into your dream college and that your worst fear is having to live at home and attend junior college. But I know some things that you don’t know, including the fact that your future husband just got a job in your hometown. So I have something better in mind. I’m going to crush your small dream of attending the college of your choice so I can fulfill your greater dream of marrying a godly man and ultimately having a family of your own.”

Can’t you see how even a No or a Wait is transformed into the most wonderful of answers when we truly believe that God has our best interests in mind? I know this is all a matter of semantics and that a “I have something better in mind” is essentially the same as a “No” or a “Wait,” but just this simple change in wording revolutionized my prayer life.

I am no longer dreading non-yes answers.

I pray believing that God will not only answer my prayer but that ultimately, in His perfect timing, I will be pleased, blessed and strengthened by His answer.

What about you? Do you agree or disagree with these two answers to prayer?