DAILY TEXT, Sunday, July 20, 2025, My thoughts are not your thoughts (Is. 55:8).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2025

Sunday, July 20, 2025

My thoughts are not your thoughts (Is. 55:8).

If we don't receive what we've asked Jehovah for, we might ask ourselves, "Is what I'm asking for the right thing?" We often think we know what's best for us. But what we're asking for may not be what's best for us in the long run. We may be praying for a problem to be solved in a certain way, but there may be a better solution. And some of our requests may not be in accordance with Jehovah's will. (1 John 5:14)

For example, consider parents who ask Jehovah to keep their child in the truth. At first glance, this seems like a good request. But in reality, Jehovah doesn’t force anyone to serve him. He wants everyone, including our children, to worship him because that is our choice. (Deut. 10:12, 13; 30:19, 20) What, then, might such parents ask of Jehovah? That he help them reach their child’s heart so that he will love Jehovah and want to be his friend. (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4) w23.11 21 par. 5; 23 par. 12.

What does Jehovah take into account when he hears our prayers?

Jehovah has his purpose in mind when he answers our prayers. (Isa. 55:8, 9) Part of that purpose is for the earth to be filled with men and women who accept his rule and serve him happily and in unity. But Satan claimed that humans would be better off ruling themselves. (Gen. 3:1-5) To prove the devil's words wrong, Jehovah let humans rule themselves, and that has caused many of the problems we have today. (Eccl. 8:9) We know that Jehovah is not going to solve all these problems now. If he did, some might think that humans can successfully rule themselves and solve the world's problems.

Why is it important for us to be convinced that Jehovah always acts with love and justice?

Jehovah may answer similar requests in a variety of ways. For example, when King Hezekiah became seriously ill, he begged Jehovah to heal him, and Jehovah did so. (2 Kings 20:1-6) However, when the apostle Paul pleaded with Jehovah to remove “a thorn in his flesh”—possibly a health problem—Jehovah refused to do so. (2 Cor. 12:7-9) Recall what happened to the apostles James and Peter. King Herod wanted to kill both of them. Although the congregation prayed for Peter and probably for James as well, James was eventually executed, while Peter was saved by a miracle performed by Jehovah. (Acts 12:1-11) We may wonder why Jehovah saved one and not the other. Although the Bible doesn't explain it, we can be sure that Jehovah "never does wrong" and that he loved Peter and James just as much. (Deut. 32:4; Rev. 21:14) Sometimes our prayers may not be answered as we expect. But we never complain about Jehovah's answers because we are convinced that he always acts with love and justice. (Job 33:13)

What do we avoid doing, and why?

We try not to compare our situation with that of others. For example, we might ask Jehovah for something very specific, and he doesn't grant it. Later, we hear about someone else who had made a similar request, and Jehovah apparently granted it. That's what happened to a sister named Anna. Her husband, Matthew, was sick with cancer, and she prayed for his recovery. At the time, two very old sisters also had cancer, so Anna prayed a lot for all three of them. As it turned out, both sisters recovered, but Matthew died. At first, Anna wondered if Jehovah had intervened to restore the sisters' health and, if so, why hadn't the same thing happened to her husband? We don't know for sure why the sisters recovered, but we do know one thing: Jehovah will once and for all take away all our suffering and long to resurrect his beloved servants. (Job 14:15).

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