Sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we had hoped and sometimes He provides answers that we didn’t know we needed. Have you experienced this? The Bible tells us in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV) God knows what we need before we even ask for it (see Matthew 6:8). He knows us better than we know ourselves. I have seen His goodness even during times when He did not answer my prayers the way I had hoped.

I was sick with bronchitis and laryngitis for weeks. I had finished my medication and since I was no longer contagious, I headed to Pennsylvania to stay with my mom while I attended a worship conference. I barely had any voice, but I was determined to go. I knew the Lord had something for me and I hoped that He would heal my voice so I could sing. I could talk, but when I tried to sing, I couldn’t.

One evening, the worship leader at the conference got the impression that the Lord wanted to bring healing to those who were seeking healing. I prayed with excitement believing that the Lord was going to heal my voice in that moment. I believed that any hoarseness would be gone and that I would be able to sing. As I prayed and worshipped, my neck became hot and the warmth of the presence of God was all around me. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I knew the Lord was at work. Then came the moment of truth. We were asked to do something we couldn’t previously do. I opened my mouth to sing and nothing came out. I tried again, and still nothing. My neck was on fire, but I still could not sing.

As the tears continued to fall, I decided to sit and rest in the presence of God and worship Him in that stillness. There was so much peace in that place. It was beautiful. In those moments, the Lord showed me that He did heal me. The warmth I felt in my neck was the Lord healing me of something I did not ask for. I had suffered from a diagnosis that left me dependent on medication to regulate what God had designed my body to regulate. There was something within my body that wasn’t working the way that God had designed it to. It was because of His love for me that He brought healing to a part of me I wasn’t even seeking healing for.

I made the very risky decision to stop taking my medication, believing fully that the Lord did heal me. I know now that He wanted to grow my faith through this. About a month later, I went to the doctor to have bloodwork done. I waited with excitement for the results, and about a week later, I received a call that everything was normal and was told to keep doing what I was doing. It had been a long time, even with the medication, that my levels fell within a normal range. It has been more than 10 years since the Lord healed me and my levels continue to be normal. I learned through this that God could do even greater things in my life than I had ever hoped for (see Ephesians 3:20).

The same is true for you. God’s ability to bless you and love you goes far beyond anything you could imagine. His great love for you and the good work He desires to do in your life knows no bounds. He knows what you need even better than you do. Believe that He will come through for you, even when it seems impossible.