Garth Brooks – Unanswered Prayers
Inspiration Behind Unanswered Prayers:
This song was conceived from a true story about Garth’s first wife Sandy. When you are young, you tend to be short sighted, unaware of the future plans that God has for you. The chorus of Unanswered Prayers came from Garth’s ability to look back at where he was in high school and who he has become as a country singer. The lyrics provide hope to struggling individuals still wondering why God didn’t answer a specific request that they really wanted.
Biblical Application:
When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you,” Matthew 17:14-20.
Exegesis of Unanswered Prayers:
Just the other night, at a hometown football game
My wife and I, ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them, the past came back to me
And I couldn’t help but think, of the way things used to be
A real-life event gave Garth Brooks a chance to play the what if game, if he married his high school sweetheart.
She was the one, that I’d wanted for all times
Each night I’d spend prayin’, that God would make her mine
And if he’d only grant me this wish, I wished back then
I’d never ask for anything, again
Garth believed that this girl was the one for him. Looking back at his past, Garth has perspective which helps him realize that unanswered prayers can be a blessing in disguise.
Sometimes, I thank God, for unanswered prayers
Remember, when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs
And just because, he doesn’t answer, doesn’t mean he don’t care
Some of God’s greatest gifts, are unanswered prayers
God responds to prayers in 3 ways: yes, no and maybe later in life.
She wasn’t quite the angel, that I remembered in my dreams
And I could tell, that time had changed me
In her eyes too, it seemed
We tried to talk about the old days
There wasn’t much, we could recall
I guess the Lord knows what he’s doin’, after all
This encounter helped Garth realize that this old relationship was shallow, more about physical attraction than depth. Garth came to the conclusion that God knew what he was doing when his prayer went unanswered.
And as she walked away, and I looked at my wife
And then and there, I thanked the good Lord
For the gifts, in my life
Seeing these two women stand side by side helped Garth appreciate Sandy more than ever before.
Sometimes, I thank God, for unanswered prayers
Remember, when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs
That just because he may not answer, doesn’t mean he don’t care
Some of God’s greatest gifts, are unanswered
God has a reason behind every unanswered prayer. Sometimes you have to wait which Garth compares to one of God’s greatest gifts.
Some of God’s greatest gifts, are all too often unanswered
Some of God’s greatest gifts, are unanswered prayers
This what Garth has learned from unanswered prayers lifted up to the Lord.
Final Thoughts:
As I was about to start my first full-time job following graduating from college, I thought I knew who I was going to marry. One was a close friend and the other was a girl I served with on Lay Witness Mission weekends in college. However, when I prayed for discernment, the Holy Spirit led me to pray for a third woman, the unknown. Once the other two had serious boyfriends, I met Leanne at the end of 1993. This prayer was answered a year later when I proposed. Therefore, the next time you don’t receive the answered prayer that you desire, God likely has a blessing in disguise waiting for you in the future.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 