What to Do When God Says No
Apr 23, 2026Summary
Have you ever pleaded with God for a specific miracle, only to receive a clear-cut "no"? When you are fasting, praying, and exercising every ounce of faith you have, a closed door can feel like a devastating rejection. If you are sitting in the middle of spiritual heartbreak and asking what to do when God says no, you are in the right place. In this raw and vulnerable episode of the Arise, Women of God podcast, host Tamara K. Anderson and guest Bonnie Randall tackle the hardest answers we receive from Heaven.
We explore the ultimate example of submission shown by the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane, and how drinking a bitter cup is sometimes necessary for a glory we cannot yet see. Bonnie shares a profoundly moving story about praying for her grandfather on his deathbed, revealing how God halted her mid-prayer to ask for something entirely different—a pivot that ultimately healed her broken family. Whether you are dealing with a lost opportunity, a broken heart, or the loss of a loved one, this episode will help you transition from the bitterness of a closed door to the peace of a new path. Tune in to discover how to yoke yourself with Christ, stop carrying your burden alone, and learn exactly what you should start praying for instead.
Episode Takeaways
- The Gethsemane Pattern: When Jesus faced His bitter cup, He prayed, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt." True peace comes from submitting our desires to God's greater plan.
- Yoke Yourself with Christ: God's "no" does not mean He is leaving you. He is inviting you to be yoked with Him so He can carry the brunt of your heavy burden.
- When God Halts Your Prayer: If you receive a clear "no," ask God, "What should I pray for instead?" A "no" to your specific request is often a "yes" to a much larger miracle.
- Help Thou Mine Unbelief: It is okay to struggle with a "no." You can ask God to plant the seed of belief and peace in your heart so you can heal and move forward.
Resources
When the "no" feels like static to your soul, you don't have to navigate it alone. 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
- When was a time God told you "no," and how did you eventually see His hand or a hidden blessing in that redirection?
- How can you apply the Savior's Gethsemane prayer ("Not my will, but thine be done") to a struggle you are currently facing?
- If you are standing before a closed door right now, what is a new, inspired question you can ask God to pray for instead?
Host & Guest
Tamara K. Anderson @tamarakanderson
Bonnie Randall @bonnie.randall
Transcript
Tamara K. Anderson
00:00:00.640 - 00:03:42.090
Oh, my friend, you've knelt until your knees are sore. You've pleaded, you fasted, and you've exercised every ounce of faith you have, asking for a specific miracle. And then the answer came back.
It wasn't a wait and it wasn't a yes. It was a clear cut no. And you find yourself asking what to do when God says no? Because that no feels like a rejection of your heart.
Well, my friend, I have felt that before. And it is hard and it is heavy, but you're in the right place.
By the end of today's episode, you'll understand how to transition from the bitterness of a closed door to the peace of a new path.
We're going to help you solve spiritual heartbreak by looking at the Savior's pattern that he taught us in Gethsemane and sharing a powerful story of a no on a deathbed that actually mended a broken family. We moving from carrying the load alone to carrying it with Christ. 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. Andersen. And joining me today is the amazing and talented Bonnie Randall.
And you are going to love it as we get raw and vulner today talking about the hardest answers to receive from heaven. And I'm already getting a little teary eyed, so this is going to be a crazy episode. When we face a no, our first instinct is to pull away.
But the Savior showed us a different way.
In Matthew, chapter 26, verse 39, we can be with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane where he asks with the weight of the world on his shoulders, if his Father will let them this cup pass from him. It was heavy. It was hard. Harder than he probably even ever imagined it could be. He didn't want to carry that weight and pain.
And yet he uttered these next words that are such a powerful example for us. Not as I will, but as thou wilt. Ooh, such an example of submission. This is what I want. But what is what you want? What is for the greater good?
Sometimes the cross in our lives is necessary for a glory. Can't yet see Jesus drank that bitter cup so that we wouldn't have to drink ours alone.
When God says, no, he is not leaving you, he is inviting you to be yoked with him. I love the verses in Matthew where Jesus promises that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
But notice that it doesn't say that there is no burden. The no you have received Might feel really heavy. It might be a broken heart, a lost opportunity, or the death of someone you love.
Your choice in this moment is to carry that burden alone or to strap yourself to the yoke of the Savior. Because when we carry it with him, he carries the brunt of the weight.
If you're still struggling to accept the no answer, it is okay to say, lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. I know because I've been there.
It's okay to ask for God to plant the desire, the seed of belief in your heart that life can move on and you can move forward, Although it may feel very heavy and hard at the time. Bonnie is now going to share a story about a time when she was pleading for a yes, but God halted her mid prayer.
Bonnie Randall
00:03:43.050 - 00:05:42.000
I can't even tell you how many times God has told me no. One time when I received a no, it was so sad. My grandfather was on his deathbed. I had gone to visit him, and he was dying of cancer.
He had several different types of cancer, and the doctors wanted to try different things. And I remember one night kneeling down and praying and pleading and begging for him to extend my grandfather's life.
But as I went to say those words, I was halted. And I heard, no, that is not his plan. It is his time to go. Do not say those words. And I started weeping. Because I love my grandfather.
I wanted to spend more time with him, but I said, okay, what am I supposed to pray instead? And he said, pray for peace. Pray that your grandmother will be ready for him to transition.
Pray that his transition will be easy and smooth and joyful, and that he will be at peace. And so I started praying the words that he would have me pray. And I saw a miracle happen.
My grandfather didn't live, but my grandmother started to be okay with the fact that he was going to be gone. My aunt started to be okay with the fact that my grandfather was going to be gone. I started to see my family heal.
Rifts that had happened in our family started to be mended, all because God told me no. And then he told me what to say instead.
Tamara K. Anderson
00:05:43.440 - 00:06:07.490
Oh. Bonnie's heartfelt story tugs at my soul, but it also shows us that a no to our request is often a yes to a much larger miracle.
She had to stop asking what she wanted and start asking, what should I pray for instead? That is how we unlock the blessings hidden in the hardship.
Bonnie Randall
00:06:08.450 - 00:06:40.650
So, friends, I know with a surety that when we get a no or not right now, it's because there are miracles and there are blessings that he is just waiting to give you.
And if you can clue into asking the right question, you will receive exactly what you need to say during that prayer to unlock and unleash those miracles into the world.
Tamara K. Anderson
00:06:41.450 - 00:08:22.220
So my friend, if you are standing before a closed door today, don't walk away from God. Walk with Him. Use the Savior's words, not my will, but thine be done. Then ask, Lord, what would you have me pray for instead?
I promise he will take your broken heart and plant a seed that you can and will heal and be able to move forward in faith.
To help you navigate those difficult no answers and find your footing again, we want to give you our free Roadmap to Revelation 6 Steps to Hearing God in your daily life. You will also get a Receiving Light and Revelation audio meditation that you can also download for free by clicking the link below.
When the no feels like static to your soul, I invite you to turn to page 6 of this downloadable PDF and use the Cast out the Adversary prayer.
It will help you bind and cast out those fearings of abandonment and anger and bring in light and peace and love and joy so that you can clearly hear the instructions God has for you to do next. So my friend, God hasn't stopped talking, he's just pointing you in a different direction. Go listen for what is next and trust where he leads.
And until next time, may you arise. Do it God's way. God Strong if today's episode helped you feel a little closer to God, please like and subscribe.
It helps us grow and ensures Heaven's whispers stay at the top of your feed whenever you need them most.
