Is God Saying No or Wait?
May 20, 2026Summary
Have you ever prayed for a breakthrough—like a child coming home, a health crisis resolving, or a financial door opening—only to be met with a frustrating period of limbo? When Heaven seems silent, it is completely natural to ask: Is God saying no, or wait? If you need to know how to distinguish between a closed door and a divine pause, you are in the right place!
In this episode of the Arise, Women of God podcast, host Tamara K. Anderson and guest Tiffany Fletcher tackle the perplexing feeling of spiritual confusion. We explore biblical examples of a protective "no," like when God redirected King David from building the temple, or when Jesus gave the Gadarene man a different mission. We also dive into the ultimate story of a painful wait: why Jesus intentionally delayed his visit to Lazarus. Sometimes, a delay isn't a denial; it is the setup for a miracle you never could have imagined! Tamara also shares a funny, modern-day parable about protecting mallard ducks in her backyard, proving that God's "not right now" is often based on dangers we cannot see. Tune in to move from feeling stuck in the silence to confidently walking in the light!
Episode Takeaways
- The Protective No: Sometimes a "no" is the greatest protection we can get from a loving God. He might say no to a good plan (like David building the temple) because He has a better, more fitting redirection waiting for you.
- The Setup for a Miracle: In John 11, Jesus intentionally waited two days before going to Lazarus. The wait felt like a rejection to Mary and Martha, but He was actually setting up a much greater miracle than simple healing.
- The Mallard Duck Principle: We don't always see the danger ahead. Just as Tamara gently shooed ducks away from nesting in a yard that would soon have a dog, God sometimes says "wait" because He sees a threat to your future that you cannot.
- Keep the Connection: Like Joseph of Egypt, who waited years in prison, it is crucial to keep praying during the waiting period. Sometimes the answer is simply: "I love you. Be patient. I am with you."
Resources
Ready to learn how to distinguish between the static of the adversary and a divine waiting period? Get our free Roadmap to Revelation bundle with a downloadable pdf & an MP3 Meditation to help you calm your mind and prepare to Receive Light & Revelation here: https://www.womenwarriorsoflight.com/Roadmap-to-Revelation
Reflection Questions
- Are you currently in a season of waiting? Do you feel like God is saying "no," or is He asking you to trust His timing?
- Can you think of a time when God gave you a protective "no" to save you from a situation you couldn't fully see?
- How can you apply the "Mallard Duck Principle" to a frustrating delay you are currently experiencing?
Host & Guest
Tamara K. Anderson @tamarakanderson
Tiffany Fletcher @tiffnyfletcher
Transcript
Tamara K. Anderson
00:00:00.880 - 00:06:19.790
Have you ever been uncertain if heaven is actually answering you? Maybe you're praying for a breakthrough, a child to come home, a health crisis to resolve, or a financial door to open.
Perhaps you're asking, is God saying no? Or wait? Or is there a yes around the corner? But you gotta know so that you can stop living in limbo. Well, take heart, my friend.
By the end of today's episode, you will understand why God sometimes says wait. And we'll also dive into the feeling of spiritual confusion by looking at why Jesus delayed his visit to a dying friend.
And I'll also share a story of a long waiting period my family went through and having the door eventually slammed shut while another door opened just around the corner. We're moving from stuck in the silence to walking in the light. Stay tuned. Ordinary women, extraordinary faith. When God calls, we say yes.
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Arise Women of God podcast.
I'm your host, Tamara K. Anderson, and joining me today is the terrific and talented Tiffany Fletcher, a member of our Women warriors of Light advisory board. And today we're diving into a perplexing question that we often encounter when we are asking God a question. Is this a no? Is this a wait?
Or is there something else that I'm not seeing yet? The wait often comes down to motive, timing, and sometimes divine redirection.
We're going to talk about definite nos, like one given to King David, the miracle that sometimes happens after the wait, another reason why God often says no.
And then I'll wrap it up with a story of a move that our family almost made to England and what actually ended up happening to redirect us in a totally different course. But first, let's talk about the protective no. Sometimes no is the greatest protection we can get from a loving God.
Let's dive into scripture to understand this a little bit better. King David wanted to build the temple for God. He had the money, he had the talent, and he had the heart for it.
But God said no because David was a man of war. Instead of letting David dwell on that rejection, he gave him a redirection, something new and positive to focus on.
He promised David that he would build him a house, a royal dynasty that would eventually include the Savior. How powerful is that a no? That redirected to a beautiful, powerful yes for something better in the future.
We also see this in the Gadarene man Jesus delivered from demons in the New Testament. After the man was healed, he begged that he could come with Jesus. But Jesus said no. Why?
Because he had a higher Calling for the man something he needed him to go do. What was it? To go home and tell his family and his friends what miracle God had done for him. He was to be a witness in a different way.
The no was a powerful yes to a different mission.
Another reason we could get a no, as James chapter four, verse three teaches us, is when you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures or lusts. End quote. Sometimes a no comes because our motives, though we may think they are good, aren't aligned with God's ultimate plan for us and our life.
Now let's look at why God often says wait or you kind of feel like you're in a little bit of a limbo, period. The story of Lazarus In John chapter 11 is the ultimate example of a wait that feels like a no.
Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus saying, he whom thou lovest is sick. They expected an immediate answer, but the scripture then follows it up with something shocking. Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place. What?
Why wouldn't he come right away? He waited because he loved them. The wait was intentional. By the time he arrived, Lazarus was dead.
And Martha greeted him tearfully, saying, lord, if thou hadst been here, she knew Jesus could have saved him. But Jesus wasn't saying no to healing.
He was saying yes to a beautiful miracle that I don't think they ever could have imagined bringing Lazarus back to life. Jesus taught that day that God can say yes even when we think it may be too late, as Isaiah chapter 40, verse 31 promises.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. Oh, what a beautiful example of waiting on the Lord.
Next, Tiffany is going to share a little bit of the story of Joseph and how he must have felt and what he did when he was in a long wait that felt like many, many noes. One year after another.
Tiffany Fletcher
00:06:20.880 - 00:07:13.060
I think about Joseph. I'm sure there are times where he was like God, Are you even there? But he continued to trust even when it was hard.
And he continued to believe and he continued to do what was right. And I'm certain that he continued to pray because how else was he going to connect with God in prison? He had nothing else.
He had no scriptures, probably nothing. But it was his prayers that helped him continue to connect with God and I.
And so I think that as we move through those hard Things it's important to remember that God does hear our prayers. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes the answer is wait. Sometimes the answer is not now. And sometimes the answer is, I love you.
Be patient, I'm with you, and that has to be enough for us sometimes.
Tamara K. Anderson
00:07:15.440 - 00:11:32.020
That's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. As you were talking about looking at.
This from the perspective of a loving parent, I had an instance from this past week pop into my mind. We had a pair of mallard ducks in our backyard earlier this week, and they were really checking out the backyard, like, to find a nesting spot.
And usually I would be totally fine with it. I'd be like, yes, please come nest in my backyard.
You know, Know we love to have little ducklings hatching in our yard and stuff like that, but we happen to be watching a neighbor's dog starting this weekend. And I just knew with that coming up, I'm like, you should not nest in my yard right now. Come back in a week and a half.
You can nest in my yard just fine. But it was interesting to look at it from the perspective of that. So I kind of walked outside and I just wandered around the yard and they flew away.
Just kind of gently encouraging them to move off. The answer's not now. And I thought of that in regards to these podcasts that we've been doing about speaking to God and hearing his answers.
And it just was so apparent that.
I knew something these ducks didn't. There is danger that will be coming into my backyard. This is not a safe place for you. So sometimes God's like, saying, no, not right now. The answers wait. Bad timing. Right now I see something you don't.
See, so trust me on this. Our family lived this wait, no. Yes. Cycle. Many years ago, we had an opportunity to move to England as an expat family.
We did the research, we prayed, and we felt good enough about our decision to apply. But then the waiting ensued. We heard nothing for months and months and months, and. And we're kind of like, God, what is this waiting?
Why aren't we getting any answers? Finally, the answer came. The company was actually bringing all expats home. That door was shut and slammed closed.
But almost immediately, a new door opened for us, for our family to move to Houston. And everything fell together so quickly that it can only be described as a miraculous yes after all this waiting.
And the no, the wait for England was actually God's way of keeping us available so that we could finally move to Houston. So if you're in a waiting period right now. Don't despair. Remember to trust God and His timing.
And if you're facing a closed door today, check your motive, watch for redirection, and remember to persist in faith. Don't stop knocking until God either opens the door or points you to a new one. A no. Today is often God's way of protecting our future. Or better, yes.
To help you distinguish between the static of the adversary and waiting on the Lord, we want to give you our free download our Roadmap to Revelation, which is an awesome PDF that talks all about six steps to helping you hear God better in your daily life. We give you a free secondary download which is our Receiving Light and Revelation audio meditation.
You can get those free by clicking the link below inside this guide. Be sure to turn to step number five.
It is one of the things that I use during our six month wait to make sure my desire to move to England wasn't clouding my ability to hear God's redirection. Also use step six, the Evening Review, to write down the tiny ways God is answering you while you wait for your next big step.
So my friend, may you be blessed and guided as you wait, as you listen, and as you eventually move forward. Trust Him. He won't lead you astray. And until next time, may you arise. Do it God's way. God strong.
