Psalm 35:14

Psalm 35:14  

Unanswered prayers

The prayers of David, for restoration of his close friends and allies, went unanswered! So says the last part of verse 13. That is an unusual state of affairs, especially for a man of God like King David. However, now we know the context of the Psalm and now we have discovered what these so-called friends were like, we begin to understand. This godly man was distraught by the sickness of men, and women perhaps, who were close to him. He viewed them as loyal and trusted companions and of course he was upset when they became ill. So much so that he went through all of the cultural formalities of the day to show how much he cared. He also prostrated himself before the Lord in plaintive pleading for these people but his request returned unanswered. A curious phrase this, it is as if he sent a message to heaven by post and it came back with a note to say, “undelivered.” David’s grief was like that of a devoted family man praying for his mother or brother or a very close friend. He fasted, he mourned, he wept and he prayed, meanwhile, the people who were the subjects of his prayer and fasting were gleefully plotting against him! The text does not say that they recovered from their sickness, but if they did it was not as a result of the Lord’s intervention. 

Now, here is a dilemma. If what we have read is correct and of course we believe the Scriptures, then we may be praying fervently for someone or for a situation and our prayers come back to us unanswered. We scratch our heads and wonder if we prayed hard enough or if there is just a time delay in the courts of heaven, when all along the Lord God has no intention of granting our requests. He knows the hearts and minds of those we pray for and He knows that in some cases, like David, we are being deceived! Hmm, that requires some thought, does it not?

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