All of God’s Promises are Yes and Amen in Jesus
[17] Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? [18] As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. [19] For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. [20] For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. [21] And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, [22] and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:17–22 ESV
Prayer has always been a funny thing. Even the disciples were confused by their prayers sometimes going unanswered. Jesus told them on a few different occasions how to pray, but He never intended it to be a method of magic words for them to use to get whatever they wanted. This section isn’t about prayer, but it can give us some insight into the character of God when we are wondering “Why isn’t God listening to me?!”
God loves you very much, we know that from numerous places in the scriptures. We also know that He does not change. Paul is saying that he is not acting in his flesh and being pulled in every direction saying yes and no almost in the same sentence. God is faithfully consistent. God is the most dependable force/power/thing in the universe. Whatever you compare Him to, He is more faithful than that.
So God, who is not a wave blown by the wind, is faithful and will establish you in Christ. Christ is such a powerful declaration of who God is! Everything God ever promised His people has come to us in Christ. Every promise of salvation, rest, security, peace, provision, nation, and people is wrapped up and contained in Christ.
And so this verse is not about praying something and knowing that we get it because we mention Jesus. Jesus isn’t the yes and the amen to our wish-list. Look through the whole Old Testament at all of the precious promises of God to rescue, to save, to give us new hearts, to make us His own people. All of those things were accomplished and given to us freely in Christ!
Doesn’t that make you eager to read more of the Old Testament! Doesn’t that make you want to find out more of what Jesus is the Yes and Amen to? You can look at Psalms, the prayer book in the middle of the Bible, and see some songs of salvation and praise and thanksgiving that God fulfilled when Jesus came to us.