Yes, No, and Wait! Those are the three possible answers to your prayers, so says conventional wisdom. I have thought a lot about the three-compartment answer‑‑ yes, no, and wait. At the introduction of today's Guidelines, I freely acknowledge that God does not answer all of my prayers the way I would like. Sometimes, in fact, He flatly denies what I have asked for. And I, for one, am quite glad that God does turn down some of my ardent requests, because as I later look back on some of the things I once asked for, I now realize that if God had given me just what I asked for I would have been most unhappy later on.