We often hear stories about people who are given three wishes: anything they desire. Usually those wishes are not well thought out and do not bring happiness. In real life, that is also true. We do not always know what we really want or how to get it, let alone what to do when we receive what we have striven to obtain. Often the joy is in the great effort we put into achieving, and sometimes we find the goal we have reached is a little hollow.

Jesus gave an example of prayer to His followers (Matthew 6:9-13). This prayer is complete with appreciation toward God, a hope for the future and a request to keep us from evil and temptation. These are all things to which God would say "yes."

In our personal prayers, however, there are many things we ask for that we have no understanding about. God says "no" to us out of love and the knowledge of our blindness. When we look back on our lives, we will find prayers that we will thank God for saying "no" to. Even "no" can be one of the good gifts He gives to His children (Matthew 7:11).