When God Says No: Looking for the Hidden Yes

Hey, dear Reader,

Let’s sit with something together for a minute.

You know those moments when you’ve prayed so hard for something, and God said no? Oof. That hurts. I’ve been there. We’ve all been there.

Being part of the Rooted & Blooming community, doing our daily devotions and reflections together, has me in class, learning every day. And it is changing me, slowly and gently. Here is what I’m learning:

Every no from God is actually a yes to something better. A yes to safety. To flourishing. To deeper intimacy. To peace we didn’t even know we needed.

What it looks like in real, everyday life

1. In relationships: That no to the wrong one? It’s a yes to not having to perform or beg for love. You get to breathe.
2. In marriage: That no to controlling things you never could control? It’s a yes to your own wholeness, and real connection grows there.
3. In parenting: That no to being a perfect, exhausted, always-available mum? It’s a yes to rest, to letting your children grow from their own stumbles, and to you blooming right alongside them.
4. In work and life: That no to the promotion that would cost your health? That no to one more thing? It’s a yes to margin. A yes to being present. A yes to you being well.

The good girl expectations

And oh, honey, the expectations we carry.

• You should be married by now.
• You should have it together by now.
• A good woman just handles it.
• If you tried harder, you could have it all.

Can I just say, gently: God isn’t running on that timeline. He’s not trying to exhaust you into holiness. Sometimes His no is simply love saying, “Not this way, sweetheart. I have something safer for you.”

You don’t have to find the yes today. Really.

I know some of you are still hurting from a no that came out of nowhere: a divorce, a breakup, a door that closed without warning. I see you. For today, maybe the yes is just this: He hasn’t left you. That’s already something, isn’t it?

Rooting for you. Blooming with you. Always.

About the author

Pat Ricia is a Zimbabwean writer and entrepreneur based in the UK, writing about faith, purpose, womanhood and intentional living. Read her story.