http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/isbn=1587432749/bakerbookhouseA
http://www.brazospress.com/Book.asp?isbn=978-1-58743-274-3

Myth Three:  If we are
just sincere enough in our asking, or simply pray long and fervently enough,
God is bound to give us what we ask for. 

This whole approach to prayer seems to see prayer as a way
of twisting the arm of a God who is reluctant to help.   This is false on both sides of the
equation.  First of all, God is not a reluctant giver. Secondly, we can’t make
God an offer he can’t refuse, no matter how nicely or insistently we ask.  Why not? Because all too often what we most
ask for is not at all what we need or
what will benefit our Christian growth. 

God only is obligated to do what he has
already promised to do, and even then it will depend on whether the thing in
question was part of a conditional promise or not.    When God begins a promise as follows “if my
people who are called by my name will repent and turn to me, then….” or in a
similar manner,  it needs to be seen that
if we don’t fulfill our half of the conditional statement God is under no
obligation to fulfill his half!   And under no circumstances can we twist God’s arm and force him to do something that is not in accord with his will in general or his will more specifically for you or me.

Think about it for a minute. Why would God answer yes to a prayer which, if fulfilled as requested, might well ruin the character or at least spoil rotten the person in question?   God is not a cosmic bellhop whose mission in life is to fulfill our every wish, wants or desires.   And perhaps something else should be said about God’s answering prayer—

No, is an answer to prayer, as is ‘yes, but not now’, as is ‘yes, but not with this person’ as is ‘ask me later’.  We should never assume that when God answers a prayer with a firm ‘no’ he is silent! No, is just as much a response to prayer as yes.  It’s just not the response we might be best pleased with.   When your theology of possessions is out of whack, and you have bought the lie of the health and wealth Gospel, this in turn leads to a theology of prayer which is also distorted.  Its time for us all to remember that ‘our best life now’ may have nothing to do with material prosperity or even good health. The best life we could have now is living a Christ-like life of self-sacrifice for others whether we are well or ill, rich or not so rich.  God’s definition of our ‘best life’ not ours must prevail, and this differs for each person.