When Prayer Is Seeking God's Permission
A Threefold Case Study in Mark 5
In the fifth chapter of Mark, we read of three different requests that were made of Jesus by three different voices. What is interesting is that each of these requests was basically a plea to Jesus to allow something to transpire. The first two of the requests were made not by men who were walking close to the Lord. These requests were answered by Jesus by granting permission for what had been requested.
The third request was the only one offered by a man who was now a follower of Jesus. And this was the only request which was denied.
Perhaps your own prayers which you pray out of your best understanding (limited though it may be) will be answered differently than you had hoped. Don’t worry. God often says no when He has greater purposes in mind. You see, what you think in your mind may not be what is in the mind of God.
Let’s look briefly at these three prayers.
The Prayer of the Demons
Jesus had arrived by boat on the Sea of Galilee into the area of the Gerasenes. Immediately, a demon possessed man approached him with the demons speaking through him and making their request to the Son of God. Look at how the Scriptures describe this encounter.
The demon possessed man ran and fell down before him (Mark 5:6).
He spoke by crying out with a loud voice (Mark 5:7).
The demon voice spoke, What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me. (Mark 5:7)
This demon further prayed, he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country (Mark 5:10).
And still further, they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them (Mark 5:12).
In this prostrate position, this demon(s) named Legion asked Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs nearby. He cried. He adjured. He begged. And he begged again.
So, what does Jesus do? So he gave them permission (Mark 5:13).
Why would Jesus grant the prayer request of this demon? Because it fit with the purposes of God. Or rather it fit with the timing of the purposes of God. One day the demons will be cast into hell, but today was not that day.
Every answered prayer is not an indicator of close fellowship with the Lord Jesus.
The Prayer of the Swineherds
Next up was the prayer of the men who were watching over the pigs. Remember that pigs were unclean animals in that day. These men had just witnessed the herd for which they were responsible destroyed in a moment.
So they had a request of Jesus. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region (Mark 5:17).
Jesus had allowed a questionable career sink into the sea. These men were not followers of Jesus. At this point, they weren’t big fans of Jesus either. So they wanted him to leave them alone.
How did Jesus respond? He got into the boat to leave.
A lost man can pray that Jesus leave them be. In this case Jesus answered their prayer in the affirmative. He left them. How sad! Apart from Christ we can either pray for Jesus to save us or to leave us. These men chose the latter, and Jesus obliged them.
The Prayer of the Converted Man
Finally, we are left with the prayer of the man who had been set free by Jesus. He was a new man in Christ. Mark records his prayer, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him (Mark 5:18).
This seems like an appropriate prayer from a newly converted man. But for the first time in this chapter, Jesus declines to do as he was asked.
He did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you (Mark 5:19).”
Does it seem strange to you that Jesus granted the requests of demons and swineherds, but did not grant the request of his newest follower? Why would Jesus do it this way.
Jesus had other purposes in mind for this man. And these purposes did not effect only this man. You see, Jesus may say no to something you ask which might seem very spiritual to you. But, if you are his, he has a bigger purpose in mind for the blessings he grants to you.
What he does require of this man is to tell his friends about Jesus. He could not do that if he followed Jesus out of the region. So Jesus told him to stay put and testify.
Look at how Mark concludes this section of the Scriptures,
And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
—Mark 5:20
We are to trust not in our own understanding of what we think is best. Yes, by all means pray for what you think is best, but be open to the Lord answering in a way that demonstrates his supreme wisdom.
Be like Jesus who prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane hours before his crucifixion,
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
Do you have an example of a time God did not answer your prayer, and you have since come to understand why He didn’t? I’d love to hear about it. Either leave a comment or send me an email.