WHEN PRAYERS ARE UNANSWERED
Every Christian has to deal with the question of why God didn’t answer their prayers. If you ask Google that question, you will get almost 20 million responses. It’s a question that is asked often. Just think for a moment: what would your life be like if God would have answered every prayer you ever prayed just the way you wanted it answered? Who would you be married to right now? Where would you be living? What kind of a person would you be? Your life would be totally different than the way it is.
Sometimes it’s a good thing God doesn’t answer our prayers. What would a child be like if their parents gave them everything they asked for and did everything they wanted them to do? God, our heavenly father, knows that not everything we want is best for us. Often we don’t understand why that is, but he knows best.
When we pray for healing or restoration of a relationship and God doesn’t answer, we are tempted to wonder why? What is wrong with wanting restoration in a relationship or healing in a body? There is nothing wrong in wanting those things, but God knows what is best for us in the long run. He honor’s free will and doesn’t force a person against their will. Even though a restored relationship might be great, He allows people to chose their own path in life.
We don’t always understand why bad things happen despite our prayers. Situations like these are opportunities to trust God. Do you believe He is a loving, sovereign God, even when he doesn’t do what you want? When God doesn’t answer, we must recognize that He is still God and He knows what is best (Hebrews 13:8). He is still worthy of our trust and devotion (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Actually, there are no unanswered prayers. The answer may be wait, later, or no. These are not what we want to hear, but they’re still answers. Our prayers are never ignored. God considers every one of them and does what is right and best for us in them. If we could know everything God knows, we would agree that everything He does (or doesn’t do) is right and perfect. You can always count on that.
Revelation 5:6-8 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
What are some of the prayers you have, or are praying, that seem unanswered? Turn them over to God and trust Him with them, to do what He knows is right and bests. Remember, He never forgets any one of them but keeps them always before Him (see Revelation 5:6-8 above).
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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